


Episode 3-11 - "Chasing the Cycle"

by stgjr



Series: Undiscovered Frontier Season 3 - "The Coming Storm" [11]
Category: Mass Effect Trilogy, Original Work
Genre: Crossover, Gen, Multiple Crossovers, Multiverse, Space Opera
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-07-06
Updated: 2018-07-10
Packaged: 2019-06-06 05:43:15
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 41,128
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15188069
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/stgjr/pseuds/stgjr
Summary: It's a race against time when Robert, Commander Shepard, and their allies head to Ilos to prevent Saren and Sovereign from summoning the Reapers.





	1. Chapter 1

**Teaser**  
  
  
Only quiet conversation could be heard in the mess area of the _SSV Normandy_. The advanced frigate, a blend of design work from the Humans of the M4P2 universe and the Turians of the same, had only a few dozen crew, so the mess was a small area with an adjacent counter for the distribution of rations. Although the designers had never anticipated such a technology being available when they initially drew up the ship, the mess's capabilities were improved by the presence of a replicator unit, one of the fruits of Multiversal Contact.  
  
In one corner of the mess, near equipment lockers outside of the infirmary's window, Robert Dale was sitting on the ground with his legs crossed under him and his hands resting on his knees. His eyes were closed. Given the bland cream-white vest, shirt, and baggy trousers he was wearing, plus the neck-length dark hair and the grown-out facial hair, he looked the part of some ascetic mystic deep in meditation.  
  
The meditation part of that description was at least accurate, and arguably the mystic part as well. Over eighteen months had passed since Robert learned his potential with the power that the Gersallians referred to as _swevyra_. The word did not translate meaningfully into English; its closest approximation, "life force", did not quite capture the essence behind it. The idea of power drawn from one's life and the power of life around them, connected to every other living thing through the power of the Flow of Life. It permitted many incredible things to become possible, powers usually associated with comic book heroes or other speculative fiction about super-beings. Capabilities that even the dark matter-manipulating biotics of M4P2 could not match.  
  
For Robert this power was not always welcome. Learning to use it had costs. His relationship with Angela Delgado, once promising enough that he'd let himself consider a future of a family together with her, ended because of the demands of his training. To save his ship and his friends, friends so close as to be family to him, Robert had nearly sacrificed his life by wielding the power of the Time Vortex. Though he survived, it still cost him two months in a coma and many weeks training to control the enhanced _swevyra_ power the Vortex left him with.  
  
This last issue was the reason for his meditation. Through the meditation he improved his control over the life-based energies surging in his being. Said control was crucial for his work. That it helped him deal with the lingering pain of his wounds from the fighting on Virmire was a tangential benefit.  
  
"How well is that working for you?"  
  
The question prompted his attention. He opened his green eyes and looked up. Commander Jennifer Shepard, Systems Alliance Navy/Marines, and the one and only Human Spectre in the ranks of the Citadel Council's agents, looked down at him with her own green eyes. Brushed red hair down to her neck provided a colorful match to the bright green of her eyes and the dusky brown of her skin. "It helps," he said.  
  
"You really pulled your own on Virmire with your abilities," she said.  
  
"I nearly killed you," Robert reminded her sullenly. His mind flashed back to that moment. Saren holding Shepard over his head on the AA tower of his Virmire base. Saren's grip crushing her throat. Robert desperately lashing out with his life-based power, just to have his focus fail and send both Shepard and Saren flying off of the tower.  
  
"Yeah. But you pulled me back up." She sat down beside him on the floor. "I know what it's like to struggle with powers you still can't quite understand." With her left knee pointed upward and her elbow resting on it, Shepard generated a small globe of dark matter in her left hand. "It took me a long time to come to grips with my biotic abilities, even after they put the implant in my head to help. If you keep working at it, you'll get it."  
  
"That's what I'm trying." Robert straightened his legs, allowing the blood to more freely circulate. He folded his hands in his lap. "I wasn't looking to use these powers. But I had to…"  
  
"Yeah. I remember Gamma Piratus." A wry grin appeared on Shepard's face. "The look on those SS troopers' faces when you started batting them around was worth the disruptor burn."  
  
Robert chuckled at that. "You shooting Fassbinder through the window was my highlight that day. A shame he beamed out before splatting at the bottom of the dock." He sighed wistfully. "As I was saying, I never really wanted these powers. I accepted them because I needed them to protect the people I love and care for. If I hurt them because I can't control them? It defeats the whole purpose of my using them in the first place." He shook his head.  
  
"I understand that. I just wanted to let you know I'm not angry that you threw me off the tower with that, but that I'd really prefer you learn how to _not_ do that kind of thing again." A bemused glint showed in her eyes.  
  
"Message received, Commander."  
  
Any further conversation would have to come later. " _Commander,, we're preparing for our last relay jump_ ," said Lieutenant Jeff "Joker" Moreau over the _Normandy_ intercom. The ship's pilot was one of the best Robert had ever known, in defiance of the brittle bone disease that afflicted him. " _We'll be docking at the Citadel within the next fifteen minutes_."  
  
"Thanks, Joker. I'll be getting ready. Shepard out." She glanced at Robert. "Ready to see the politicians?"  
  
"Oh, am I ever," Robert sighed.  
  
"It sucks, I know." Shepard chuckled. "But we'll need the Council's backing to get the ships to hit Ilos. It's going to be a tough sell."  
  
"But we have to make it, or Saren will get to the Conduit first and summon the Reapers." Robert frowned. "And we can't let that happen."  
  
"We won't," Shepard vowed. "I promise you that."  
  
  
  
  
The _Normandy_ zipped into existence beside the mass relay inside the Serpent Nebula. With its engines flaring with bright light, it raced ahead toward the cloud of particles that hid the Citadel from immediate view.  
  
One reason for the ship's quick maneuver became evident ten seconds later when another ship appeared in nearby space. The _Starship Aurora_ was a far larger vessel than the _Normandy_. The azure-colored kilometer long starship accelerated in the same direction, pushed by the red-lit impulsor drives built into the stern-facing sections of its drive and primary hull. The drive hull was surrounded by the four long warp nacelles that provided the ship with its faster-than-light travel capability, arranged in an X around the drive hull at just enough length from it to provide forward clearance around the shape of the primary hull forward of the nacelles. A great gold and blue circle - the great vessel's versatile deflector dish - was set into the front of the drive hull, almost directly below the main bridge at the top of the primary hull's middle point.  
  
On said main bridge, Captain Julia Andreys watched the Citadel start to form from within the particle clouds around it. The lights of the towers built into the five arms of the great space station shined through the clouds as if she were viewing a great metropolitan city through fog.  
  
Though the Citadel was an impressive sight on of itself, that wasn't what had Julia's attention. Arrayed around the station was a fleet of combat starships. The great majority of them were Turian, sleek winged warships of gray coloring, fitting the militaristic and utilitarian nature of their builders' primary culture. Rounded, more elegant ships with large interior sections were Asari vessels, including the massive _Destiny Ascension_ , the flagship of the Asari and Citadel fleets, one of the most powerful vessels in the Multiverse. Bulbous Salarian craft were scattered about the formations, primarily lighter attackers that fit the Salarians' preferred tactics in space combat.  
  
It was as they drew closer that the most interesting sight came to Julia and the others. Among these ships of the Council species were a handful of Alliance starships. Three _Predator_ -class destroyers and a light Dorei starbird were in formation together with one larger ship, a vessel that was nearly a twin for the _Aurora_ save for how her more numerous weapons emplacements gave her a more war-like appearance. For a brief moment Julia thought of the _Avenger_ , built by the Darglan just as the _Aurora_ was and in the hands of James Hawk and his band of violent interuniversal vigilantes, but the name on the ship's hull banished thoughts of the desperate fight at Tira three months prior.  
  
The name read _ASV Excalibur_.  
  
"It looks like they're expecting an attack," observed Lieutenant Commander Nicholas Locarno, the ship's Navigation Officer. The exiled Starfleet cadet glanced over from his station at the helm to the ops station beside him, controlled by Lieutenant Commander Jarod. The biologically older super-savant responded with a nod. "Do they really think Saren's just going to come racing for the Citadel with the Geth fleet?"  
  
"I don't know," Julia said. "The important part will be convincing them this fleet is needed at Ilos."  
  
"I'd say the important part is if this is enough firepower to kill that Reaper," remarked Lieutenant Angela Delgado, seated at her station of Tactical. Her hazel eyes met Julia's green. "Magda's scans show that thing's got some serious damn firepower."  
  
"Make sure the tactical data from the _Koenig_ and _Normandy_ 's encounter with Sovereign is relayed to the ships of the fleet. Just in case."  
  
"Right away."  
  
There was a tone from Ops. Jarod tapped a key blinking green. "We're getting a message from Ambassador Atama. He wants you and Commander Meridina to be present for the Council meeting about the fleet."  
  
Julia nodded. "Signal back that we'll be there."  
  
  
  
  
Nothing had changed in the weeks since Robert last saw the Council Audience Chamber. As before, Councillors Tevos, Valern, and Sparatus were at their places, Tevos in the middle with her Salarian colleague to her left and the Turian to her right. The extended platform over the garden below the chamber ended with a circle that acted as a speaker's place for whomever was addressing the three Councillors. Ambassador Udina was there, taking the lead spot, and offering Shepard a place beside him. Shepard would have preferred bringing her entire team, but ultimately she could only bring Kaidan. Although Robert was considered by her and the others to also be a team member, the politics demanded he remain back with the Alliance Ambassador, a Dorei man named Atama, and Julia and Meridina.  
  
"You wanted to see me in person?" Shepard asked the Council.  
  
"Yes. Now that Saren's operations in the Traverse have been stopped and his support structures reduced to only the Geth, we believe he will be left no choice but to make a direct assault on the Citadel itself," Tevos explained. "And we want you here to eliminate him if the chance presents itself."  
  
"Saren's not coming here," Shepard said. "He's on his way to Ilos to use the Conduit. And that's where we have to go. I came back to lead the fleet to Ilos."  
  
"I'm afraid that's not happening, Commander," Tevos said. "You, and the fleet, will be staying right here."  
  


**Undiscovered Frontier  
" _Chasing the Cycle_ "**

  
  
The assembled visitors looked in surprise at the Council. Robert sensed the irritation in Shepard. In Udina as well, but not the same kind.  
  
"Staying here is pointless," Shepard said vehemently. "Saren's going to Ilos to use the Conduit. That's what he's been after this whole time!"  
  
"Saren can't afford to waste time and resources hunting for more Prothean relics," Sparatus insisted. "His only chance to succeed in his goals is to take the Citadel and eliminate the Council, then hope that he can rebuild his alliances in the resulting chaos."  
  
Shepard's expression was grim, and it was shared by Robert and Kaidan. "You're still thinking of Saren as out for some kind of political goal," Shepard said. "He's not. He's not even in charge, he's working for the Reapers. He's trying to bring them into our galaxy. We need this fleet to get to Ilos before it's too late."  
  
"He's tricking you, Shepard," Sparatus said in a dismissive tone. "It's all misdirection. He wants you to chase him into the Terminus Systems. Triggering a war between Terminus and Council Space will add to the chaos he needs to survive."  
  
Valern nodded. "Indeed, sending any segment of our fleet to Ilos will immediately trigger a hostile response from the Terminus Systems. It would play into Saren's hands, whatever his motive."  
  
"I know his motives! I heard them directly from him!" Shepard's fists clenched. "You didn't want to believe me when I told you he was behind Eden Prime. You let him talk you into thinking it was all some ploy by Captain Anderson. But I was right then, just as I am now. And you're letting Saren manipulate you again!"  
  
"You're asking us to risk interstellar war over beacon visions only you've had," Tevos said.  
  
"Pardon me, Councillor." Robert stepped forward. "May I speak?"  
  
The Councillors looked at each other. Finally Tevos nodded. "You may."  
  
He looked to Shepard, who nodded back. "I know it sounds farfetched, all of this talk about Reapers," Robert said. "But we heard it from the Reaper itself while on Virmire. Sovereign is a machine, a very old and very malevolent being. It's the real power here, not Saren. And it wants to destroy us."  
  
"Whatever you saw was likely some pre-arranged bait by Saren," Sparatus retorted. "To divert you to Ilos."  
  
"It wasn't a fake, Councillor. I _felt_ it," Robert insisted. "This thing is toxic. Our very existence disgusts Sovereign. I could feel that malice while he spoke, I could feel it in the Flow of Life itself. He wants to end our civilizations, our very existence, and Saren's the tool he's using. "  
  
"I understand you're convinced, Captain, but whatever metaphysical beliefs you may have, it's not enough for us to commit to interstellar war," Tevos replied. "The fleet will not go to Ilos."  
  
"Then I'll go," Shepard said. "The _Normandy_ can slip through the Mu Relay without being detected."  
  
"Shepard, don't be a fool," Sparatus barked. "Whatever Saren's up to, the Citadel is his ultimate target. You're needed here, where we have the most strength."  
  
"If Saren succeeds on Ilos, it won't matter where he goes next," Shepard replied. "Because he'll have brought back the Reapers. My report showed you what Sovereign could do. Can you imagine _hundreds_ of Sovereigns? Maybe _thousands_?"  
  
"All your report showed was a warship of, yes, great capability, but just as likely a Geth creation," Valern insisted. "Or perhaps some ancient Prothean vessel the Geth refurbished for Saren."  
  
Tevos sighed. "I get the feeling, Commander, that you're going to act regardless of what we ask of you."  
  
"I'm going to do the job you gave me, Councillor," Shepard said. "Protect this galaxy."  
  
"I've heard enough."  
  
Udina's sudden entry into the conversation prompted attention from Shepard. "You've made great strides for Humanity, Shepard, but now you're becoming more trouble than you're worth. Having a Human Spectre rushing off on a wild goose chase into the Terminus Systems is a political nightmare for us, Shepard, and I won't allow it." Udina raised his left arm and activated his omnitool. He immediately began tapping his right hand's fingers on the display.  
  
"What are you doing?" Shepard asked.  
  
"I'm issuing a hold order on the _Normandy_ ," Udina announced. "She's being confined to dock until further notice."  
  
"You can't do this!" Kaidan shouted. "Don't you realize what's at stake?"  
  
"I know all too well what's at stake, Lieutenant. What's at stake is our credibility in the galaxy. Allowing Shepard to throw away all we've earned would be irresponsible, and I'm not going to do that."  
  
Shepard's response was in a low voice. "You son of a bitch," she spat.  
  
With contempt, Udina ignored her and looked back to the Council. "The Systems Alliance stands in full agreement with the Citadel Council's strategy in this matter. Our fleets are standing by at Arcturus to attack Saren's rear the moment the Citadel defense fleet engages. You have my word."  
  
  
"Thank you for your cooperation, Ambassador," Tevos said. "This meeting is adjourned."  
  
Udina smiled with satisfaction and looked back at Shepard. "Stand down, Commander. You've done your part admirably, but you're no longer needed." With that parting shot, Udina walked away.  
  
Shepard and Kaidan turned to Julia. Robert stepped up to her. "Then I guess it's up to us," he said.  
  
"No."  
  
Ambassador Atama shook his head. "We cannot afford to provoke the Terminus Systems at this critical juncture in the war with the Reich," Atama said. His voice was brusque and his accent stilted. "All missions to Ilos are banned."  
  
"With all due respect, Mister Ambassador, I am a Paladin," Robert replied. "I'll do what I think necessary. And you don't have the authority to forbid me or Captain Andreys from acting."  
  
The older Dorei man frowned. "I do not, true. But President Morgan does, Captain, and my direction comes straight from him. His orders are clear. No Alliance starship will go anywhere near Ilos." Atama's attention turned to Julia. "Captain Andreys, if your vessel or the _Koenig_ or even one of your light vessels even approach the Widow Mass Relay without orders from Command, you will be court-martialed. Is that clear?"  
  
Julia kept a neutral expression on her face. "It is, Mister Ambassador."  
  
"Good. This is a delicate time for the Alliance and rogue operations cannot be tolerated." Atama gave a pointed look to Robert before continuing to speak to Julia. "Given the situation at the front in S4W8, your presence is needed here, Captain. Report to Captain King immediately. She is in command of all Alliance starships cooperating with the Citadel defense fleet. That is all." With that the older Dorei man walked away.  
  
Julia let out the breath she'd mostly been holding. Her neutral expression turned apologetic. "I'm sorry," she said to Shepard. "It looks like Atama and Udina are together on this."  
  
Shepard looked to Robert. "You've got a direct line to President Morgan, right?"  
  
"I do. And I can try to make some calls and see if I can convince him otherwise, but if I can't, we'll need another option." Robert sighed. "I may know someone who can get us to Ilos, but I've got no idea where Druni and Lennier are, and it might take too long for them to get to the Citadel."  
  
"Plus they only have that armed courier starship," Julia reminded him. "It may be well-armed for its size but I doubt it can take on even a light warship. The Geth will shoot you down long before you make orbit."  
  
Robert shrugged. "I suppose the _Eagle_ is another possibility. Beth might have problems with Morgan afterward… but we're still dealing with time problems here, especially if Yoni Shaham is off on a mission." He looked to Meridina. "Anyone in the Order we can ask for help?"  
  
"I can investigate, but as noted, time is our great enemy," she replied. "While we have many acquaintances and allies, even enemies, who might help on this matter, the matter of how much time it would take to meet with them is still an issue."  
  
"Enemies?" Kaidan asked, confused.  
  
Robert knew what she meant. "As bad as an idea as it'd probably be, I'm desperate enough that if Hawk and his band of brain-fried lunatics were here I'd still ask them for the ride."  
  
"I may have some ideas."  
  
Everyone turned to face Anderson. He was primarily looking at Shepard. She returned the look from her mentor. "Come meet me at Flux. It's a casino down in the Wards, right by C-Sec HQ. We need to have a drink." With that, he continued on past them.  
  
"I have a feeling I shouldn't be anywhere _near_ a bar right now," Julia said innocently. "Commander?"  
  
Meridina nodded. "Agreed. It would be most unwise given the preparations we must make."  
  
"I'll let you know what you've missed, if I can," Robert promised as they walked away.  
  
"I don't know about you guys, but I'm actually feeling a little lucky," Shepard said. "Let's check this Flux place out."  
  
  
  
  
Instead of returning straight to the _Aurora_ , Julia beamed over to the _Excalibur_ first. Part of this was genuine curiosity; she'd never been aboard the battlecruiser or its sister ships, so she wanted to see what it was like. Getting the chance to speak to Captain King face-to-face was the other part.  
  
An Alakin male with rust-colored feathers and greenish-gray mottled skin was at the transporter controls when she arrived. He stood at attention until Julia nodded and stepped out of the room. The corridor was mostly like that of the _Aurora_ , but it seemed slightly smaller and not as inviting. As if to reinforce the _Excalibur_ was a warship first and foremost, and wasn't here for the comfort of crew and visitors.  
  
Regardless of differing size, Julia found the turbolift station in the same spot she would on the _Aurora_. It brought her up to the bridge of the big ship. She immediately noted that, like the Alakin, all of the officers were armed, wearing their side-arms on their hips in holsters. The bridge layout was nearly the same as that of the _Aurora_ , save that the helm was alone in the center of the front area. Operations was across from Tactical, to the rear port side of the bridge. A Human woman with East Asian coloring manned that station. Tactical was manned by a Dorei man of light purple complexion with dark blue spotting and hair. A dark-furred felinoid Rr'timm, female Julia thought, sat at the nearby sensors station, looking very alert.  
  
From the central chair a tall man of African complexion stood. Besides height he seemed very much on the thin side. "Captain Andreys, I am Commander Jean-Bertrand Granville, First Officer," he said. His accent had a French feel to it, but Julia didn't think it sounded like Patrice Laurent's or any of the other people she'd met from Francophone Africa. She guessed he might be from the Caribbean, or a colony world settled by one of the French-speaking Caribbean islands.  
  
"Commander Granville, a pleasure." Julia extended her hand.  
  
Granville accepted it. "The Captain is in her office." He indicated the door Julia expected to lead to the ready office, since it was the same door on her bridge. "It is an honor to meet you, Captain. I read the report on your stand at Tira. If you do nothing else in your career, and I know this is unlikely, Tira will guarantee you a place among our Alliance's greatest starship captains. My only regret was that we weren't there."  
  
"Thank you." Julia got the feeling Granville had deep feelings about Tira, but this wasn't the place to ask. "If we have time, I'm open to discussing what happened at Tira. For now, I'd better get to Captain King." With a nod of further thanks and a smile, she headed toward the door.  
  
Inside King's office was surprisingly welcoming. Julia had expected something spartan from the coolly professional King, but she had a welcoming couch at the wall to Julia's left and two comfortable chairs across from a desk that looked like it was made of a fine tropical wood. A hardlight-projector for a control board was set into the top, as was a holo-viewer. It was active at the moment, showing a report. King was seated and looking it over, her brown eyes fixed for the moment on the report. Her dark brown hair was pulled back into a regulation bun at the back of her head. After a moment she looked up. "Ah, Captain Andreys." King rose from her chair. A thin smile that was, for King, a gesture of warm camaraderie appeared on the Englishwoman's face. "It has been a while. We have both had eventful years, it seems. My congratulations to you for your successes at New Caprica, Phi Perseus, and Tira. And now Noveria, I have heard."  
  
"Thank you, Captain. I hear congratulations are in order to you for the Arkanis issue as well, not to mention the _Excalibur_ 's role in the fighting in Argolis."  
  
"It was quite the action. We spent three weeks in drydock." King nodded. "However did you manage to get Commander Granville to let go of your hand?"  
  
"Easily, I guess. I got the feeling he was very impressed by what happened at Tira."  
  
"He's from New Domingo in C5O2, Captain, from the Haitian settlements. If you're aware of the history, you'll understand why he would be impressed by Tira."  
  
Julia tried to think of what she'd heard of C5O2. "I'm afraid I'm not very familiar with that world. I seem to recall it's a barely-habitable tropical planet?"  
  
"It is. With low gravity. An unscrupulous colonization corporation misled the initial colonizers on the world's nature, leaving them trapped on a world that claimed over a quarter of the original colonists in the first year after they landed. They had to turn to artificial reproduction to keep the colony viable. And to make matters worse, when reserves of Cameronite were found in its mountains an Eastern Coalition megacorp tried to seize control of the planet. By the time the British Stellar Union intervened, over half of the population had been wiped out." A grim look formed on King's face. "That was half a century ago, mind you. But it's going to be a sore spot for them for a long time. I imagine Commander Granville is thinking about how your ship might have saved millions of his people had you only been there."  
  
"You're from C5O2, aren't you?" Julia asked.  
  
"I am. I transferred from the Royal Star Navy under the affiliation treaty signed when the Alliance was formed," King replied. "If you must know, my aunt and a distant cousin both served in the intervention fleet under Admiral Kenyatta. I may have allowed that history to influence my decision to ask Commander Granville to be my XO, although his performance on the _Churchill_ early in the war more than justifies it."  
  
Julia remembered that ship, a Stellar Union dreadnought. It'd been nearly wrecked fighting the Nazis in the early weeks of the war. She nodded in agreement.  
  
"Well, now that we have established a rapport, we should get down to business," King declared. "I have orders directly from Command to join our ships to the Citadel Defense Fleet in preparation for an attack by the rogue Spectre Saren Arterius and his Geth forces. Just an hour ago those orders were amended to include keeping you from sending any ships to Ilos. You are under my direct command for this operation."  
  
There was no keeping the frustration off of Julia's face. For one, she admittedly found it very irritating that King was in overall command, not as a slight against King, but because it was a deliberate snubbing. _And not by Maran_. "Who sent these orders, if I may ask?"  
  
"They come directly from Defense Minister Hawthorne himself," King replied. Her look was enough to tell that she suspected the same motives Julia did. "I admit they seem rather… unnecessary. As if the Minister believes you will, at the first opportunity, race off into the Terminus Systems."  
  
"If he read my report from Noveria and the attached report from Rob… from Captain Dale about Virmire, he knows we want to go to Ilos."  
  
"Ah, that was the world he mentioned in the order. Something about it being a wild goose chase, some mythical Prothean world." King settled into her chair and motioned for Julia to take one. "My greatest concern is over Sovereign's capabilities."  
  
"Did you see the _Koenig_ 's logs on Sovereign, Captain?" Julia asked.  
  
"I did. There is certainly something unique about the ship. It doesn't fit anything like Geth technology. Commander Stirling, my Chief Engineer, has already reviewed the logs and insists the ship doesn't match any known Geth profile." King's face settled into a concerned frown. "I have read the reports on the E5B1 First Ones, and on your encounter with an ancient vessel in the Fracture a few months ago. And I'm aware that Sovereign matches a profile in the Darglan Omega Threat listing. That it's a threat is not disputed." King shrugged. "That said, it's obvious forces in Portland see it as a waste of time."  
  
"Or a chance to suck up to the Council, like Ambassador Udina is."  
  
King chuckled mirthlessly. "He is quite the creature, yes. A political animal with a monomania when it comes to the Systems Alliance's role on the Citadel. The man won't be happy until he's a member of the Council himself."  
  
"I'm more concerned with Atama," said Julia. "I don't mind giving respect to Ambassadors, but trying to issue orders…"  
  
"Most inappropriate, yes. For the duration, Captain, you answer to me, not him." King sighed. "I'm sure you feel slighted given the seniority issue, but Command has made its decision. I know you well enough to know it rankles."  
  
"It does," Julia admitted. "But I won't hold it against you. Whatever happens, whatever Saren pulls, we'll be ready for it here." _We just have to hope it's not a lost cause because nobody stops Saren from using the Conduit_.  
  
"I appreciate the thought, Captain," King said. "I'd like to have a joint command staff meeting within twenty-four hours to go over the logs on the Geth ships and on Sovereign. If we're attacked, I want to be ready. Can I do anything else for you?"  
  
"No, not at all," said Julia. "I'll get back to the ship and make sure everything's ready."  
  
"I must insist on maximum readiness, liberties to the Citadel will be restricted until further notice."  
  
"Agreed." With that, Julia stood. "I'll talk to you later, Captain."  
  
"Of course. Until then." King purposely refused to state the usual "You are dismissed", knowing full well it would be rubbing salt on the wound. She watched Julia leave and returned to her report-reading.  
  
  
  
  
The Flux Casino was a colorful, lively place. The lower floor had a dance floor being used by two very enthusiastic Asari and a nearly-as-enthusiastic Miqo'te couple. Robert noticed a Lurian from S5T3 chatting up the Human woman manning the bar. He looked familiar, but Robert couldn't place where he'd seen him before.  
  
They found Anderson at a table off to the side. A small glass of what Robert was sure was something alcoholic was in his hand, half-finished. Anderson wasn't in uniform but wearing a blue and gray civilian suit, in contrast to Shepard still being in N7 combat armor and Robert in his Gersallian-style _swevyra'se_ armor. Kaidan was likewise still in combat wear. "Commander, I see you're still ready for anything."  
  
"C-Sec's not happy about it either," Shepard noted. "But Saren may still have agents on the Citadel. And the last time I was here I ended up having to shoot my way through Chora's Den, so I probably pissed off quite a few of the local crooks too."  
  
"Good. That's how I trained you to think," Anderson said. They all took seats with him. "We need to get you to Ilos. Staying here waiting for Saren to attack is going to get us all killed."  
  
"I need a ship," Shepard said. "Something that can sneak through the Mu Relay."  
  
"Unfortunately, I don't have that kind of clout," said Anderson. "Udina would see it coming and head it off at the pass. He won't allow anything to disturb his good standing with the Council."  
  
"If we had more time, I could get independent ships to get us there," Robert said. "But I have a feeling we're running out of time. Benezia transmitted the coordinates to the Mu Relay to Saren. He has the Cipher from the Thorian and I'm damn sure that beacon he had on Virmire worked for him. He's probably already on his way to Ilos, if he hasn't already gotten there."  
  
"Then we need a ship already here. A ship that can get to Ilos." Shepard looked to Robert. "Do you think we could slip the _Koenig_ out?"  
  
"Maybe. If we're willing to destroy Julia's career, and Atreiad's," Robert said glumly. "The orders come straight from the top, and Paladins don't have the leeway Spectres do. I can't just countermand them."  
  
"I'm not sure I could either," said Shepard.  
  
"I know Julia. She'd do it if it's our only option," said Robert. "But I don't want to make her. Not if we have an alternative."  
  
"We do," said Anderson. "When I leave here, I can go to Station Control in C-Sec HQ. I'll slip in and override the lock on the _Normandy_. You fly her out."  
  
"Anderson, you could get killed," Shepard said. "C-Sec's not going to ask questions, they're just going to shoot."  
  
"I'm willing to risk it."  
  
"What if we could get Udina to override the lock?" Robert asked. "Or, more accurately, take over his console and do it?"  
  
"That's certainly something that would work," Anderson agreed. "Although I'm likely to face a mutiny charge afterward. Udina's not going to let that slide."  
  
Robert considered what Anderson was saying. He didn't like the thought that what he was effectively doing was putting Julia's welfare above Anderson's. It felt… vaguely selfish.  
  
Anderson seemed to notice his dislike, as did Shepard. "It's fine, Captain," Anderson said. "My career is mostly over anyway. Captain Andreys still has years ahead of her to benefit everyone. I'd rather end my career doing something meaningful than retiring to fade away."  
  
"If you had to pick, which would you do?" Robert asked. "C-Sec or Udina?"  
  
Anderson chuckled. "As if you have to ask? Udina. And I hope he's in his office. I'd love an excuse to give that man a good punch to the face."  
  
"Anderson, I'm sorry," Shepard said. Robert sensed her fear for him and her sadness at the sacrifice he was about to make. "Maybe there's another way…"  
  
"There isn't. Nothing we can do in time," Anderson said. "Which we're rapidly running out of. Get going. It won't take me long to get to Udina's office. Signal me when you're ready. And once you're out, burn hard for the Relay and don't look back."  
  
"We will." Shepard extended a hand to her commander and mentor. "And we'll have a beer and share a laugh about this when we get back."  
  
To that Anderson laughed. "If we can before they haul us away for a court-martial, certainly." With that he put his now-empty glass down and walked away.  
  
"We'd better get going," Kaidan said.  
  
"Whatever happens on Ilos, it's going to be tight," Shepard said, looking to Robert. "Do you think we could get Lucero involved?"  
  
Robert shook his head. "Not without tipping people off that we're up to something."  
  
"Right. If your ships are in position to stop us…"  
  
"I wouldn't want to test to see if Joker can break free from a tractor beam," Robert finished for her.  
  
Shepard stood. "Then let's get going."  
  
As she spoke, Robert brought up his left arm and activated his omnitool. "And while we do, I need to make an arrangement." He tapped the commlink. "Dale to _Aurora_. I need someone to put me through to Doctor T'Soni. I have something to show her and I need to meet her on the Citadel."  
  
  
  
  
When Meridina became First Officer, one of the changes to her life was moving from the security chief office deeper in the ship to the First Officer's office on Deck 3. Her study of the Stellar Navy's statements on her duties and related recommendations led her to the practice of maintaining a two hour block every day in the office, after her main bridge shift was over, to allow the officers and crew of the _Aurora_ to meet with her on whatever matter they deemed necessary.  
  
For the most part these meetings went swiftly. Crew members registered complaints, gave recommendations regarding the running of the ship or the behavior of their peers, or matters relating to their careers and advancement in the rates. Occasionally a department or shift supervisor would discuss planned promotions, or make arrangements for crew-bonding exercises. Hargert would make the occasional appearance for assistance with acquiring stores for his kitchen, often plying her with his increasingly-refined efforts at Gersallian cuisine.  
  
Given the lingering headache Meridina felt - probably from the concussion she'd suffered on Noveria - she was looking forward to Hargert's culinary efforts and was nearly ready to leave her office when the door swished open. Major Anders walked in. His olive brown uniform, marked with rank insignia and his name, was noticeably different from Meridina's black-with-burgundy red-trim Stellar Navy uniform. She recalled that the uniform style of the Humans' American nation was the dominant influence on the Alliance Marine duty uniform, albeit with an Alakin-inspired collar, while the Stellar Navy uniform was modeled in the style of the United Federation of Planet's Starfleet in honor of a former Starfleet officer, Carlton Farmer, who died to stop the Daleks of Universe W8R4 from seizing a Darglan Facility. Meridina found an appreciating symmetry there, given Farmer was the primary builder of the _Aurora_ and contributed several ship design concepts to what became the Alliance.  
  
Her meandering thoughts - her father and her teacher would be disappointed that she was letting them wander like that, brain injury or no - ended when Anders stood at attention and said, "Commander, I hope I'm not interrupting anything?"  
  
"You are not, Major," Meridina assured him. She gestured to a seat. "I have not seen you take advantage of my open office hours before."  
  
"I haven't really had cause to, ma'am. Captain Andreys and Commander Richmond usually handle any issues I may have," Anders answered. Meridina considered the dark-haired man. His complexion was close to Lucy's. She recalled he was a… what was the term? She remembered Lucy using "Native American", but Tom Barnes had used "Indian" before to describe Anders, but he looked nothing like the "Indians" Meridina had met before, like Queen Geeta III of the British Stellar Union or Kaveri Varma, the Human lover of the Dilgar leader Shai'jhur.  
  
"What might I do for you, Major?" Meridina asked.  
  
"I wanted to discuss Lieutenant Lucero with you," he said. "I know you trained her in this life force arts mysticism."  
  
"I did," said Meridina. "This is about Noveria, then?"  
  
"It is." Anders took the offered seat. "I'm going to be honest. If she were a Marine officer, I would have already had her shipped off to another posting. She made a command-level decision in my presence without consulting me. It was unacceptable."  
  
"You mean her freeing of the Rachni Queen."  
  
"I do. And I get why she did it. I might've made the same choice myself. But it made clear to me the way she views her position here, and it's not acceptable. Not to me. Otherwise you may as well promote her to Commander and put her in charge of my Marines."  
  
Meridina sensed the aggravation in the Marine commander. She knew this was not a case of the kind of toxic distrust and bigotry that Admiral Davies and his supporters felt toward those with active _swevyra_. Anders had a legitimate complaint, just as a _Mastrash_ would if a field Knight usurped authority in the same fashion. "I see. I can speak with her about it. And I can explain, if you wish."  
  
"I'm guessing this kind of behavior is to be expected in Knights, or whatever you call yourselves?" Anders asked.  
  
"To a degree… one of the critical elements of how our _swevyra_ , I mean our abilities, works… it involves certainty, Major. In training we are told not to try anything. We simply _do_. When we act, we must do so without any doubt. It is how we influence the universe around us with the Flow of Life. And I admit it does lead to this kind of behavior. Lucy's ability to sense what will happen from her actions encourages her to act with such resolution. I have done the same."  
  
Anders listened to the explanation quietly. When Meridina finished he nodded. "I see. But it doesn't excuse not consulting me. Or running into a fight without coordinating tactics, like she did on Therum."  
  
"Yes. Over time, Knights learn to discern the certainty they need for their actions from the need to act in a unit, when they are in such circumstances. Lucy is learning this as well. Admittedly Commander Kane was always one for tolerating our, as he put it, 'Goddamned crazy stuff'."  
  
Anders grinned slightly at that. "I've heard good things about Major Kane, but I'm not him. If I'm going to work with Lieutenant Lucero, I need her to cooperate with me. Not just assume I'll chase off after her."  
  
"I will discuss the matter with her, Major, I assure you." Meridina said nothing on the thought that came to her, that Robert wanted Lucy for his team. "Is there anything else?"  
  
"Nothing at the moment, Commander. Thank you for your time."  
  
Meridina nodded. "You are welcome, Major."  
  
  
  
  
Liara was not fooled by Robert's call. Whatever naivety others felt she possessed, she knew there was only one real reason he'd want her on the _Normandy_. And she was eager to follow through on it. The moment she got the call from him she went to work gathering things on the _Aurora_ and putting them in a carrying bag provided by the replicator.  
  
She was about to leave when there was a chime at the door. Liara finished packing before turning and saying, "Come in!"  
  
When the door opened, it was Caterina Delgado who entered. The short Human sometimes looked and sounded younger than she really was, and usually her enthusiasm could be infectious. But right now Liara thought she seemed reserved. And awkward, which she often was when she ran into Liara while alone. "Are you okay? I wanted to check…" Cat stopped when she noticed the open bag. Liara zipped the bag close. "Are you… going somewhere?"  
  
Liara nodded. "I'm going to check something on the Citadel with your friend, Robert."  
  
Cat nodded. "How long are you going to be over there. I was going to offer to share a meal with you. Beaming to the Citadel is restricted right now but Hargert's cooking dinner for everyone…"  
  
"I'm not sure," Liara said. "Thank you for the offer, but I have other things I need to be doing right now."  
  
"I… I suppose." It was clear that Cat wasn't fooled either. "I was just coming to see how you were feeling. I mean, about your loss."  
  
_I am so proud of you, Little Wing_. Her mother's last words echoed in Liara's mind. Her heart ached with the loss. All of her hopes of eventually winning her mother's respect in her field, of getting Benezia to recognize Liara by her own merits… they'd died along with Benezia in that chamber of Peak 15's sub-glacial level. With the pain of that knowledge came a surge of sheer anger. _This is all Saren's fault!_  
  
"Thank you, Lieutenant… Caterina," Liara replied. "You've been understanding."  
  
"I know what it's like. I still miss my Mama, and when I lost her…" Tears formed in Cat's hazel eyes. "...I almost stopped. Living, I mean. My Mama meant everything to me. If not for Angel…"  
  
Liara nodded. "You're lucky. I didn't have a sister growing up." She picked up the bag. "I really should be going. Captain Dale is waiting."  
  
Cat nodded and stepped out of the quarters. When Liara moved past her, she asked, "Whatever you're doing, please be careful. Both you and Rob."  
  
"I…" Liara stopped and nodded. "I'll pass it on. Thank you for your concern. If things were normal right now, I would enjoy the chance to talk to someone." With those parting words Liara continued on to the nearest Transporter Station.  
  
  
  
  
In her ready office Julia went over the reports for the day and made sure to schedule the meeting with the _Excalibur_ command crew. It would come after the meeting that Asari Matriarch Lidanya, the commander of the _Destiny Ascension_ , was already calling for the ship captains.  
  
Even with these thoughts, she was wondering what was going on with Robert. She knew he was trying to find a way to Ilos himself, but that he hadn't checked in… Ultimately, Julia sighed and decided to check into it herself. "Computer, locate Agent Dale," she asked aloud.  
  
" _Paladin Agent Dale is not aboard_ ," the feminine computer voice replied.  
  
Julia's face curled into a small smile. _'Paladin' Dale. It fits so well, doesn't it?_ "Has he returned to the ship at all in the last five hours?"  
  
" _Search complete. No movement activity from Paladin Agent Dale has been logged. One communication logged_."  
  
Julia suspected that with Paladin operating codes Robert could, if he really wanted, come and go without the computer logging his arrival. But she was certain that wasn't the case here. Hearing the latter item she asked, "Who did he contact?"  
  
" _Civilian guest Doctor Liara T'Soni_."  
  
That clinched it. She tapped the button on her desk to activate a commlink. "Andreys to Dale."  
  
After several moments Robert's face appeared on the holo-viewer on her desk. Given the background behind him, Julia could see he was aboard the _Normandy_. " _Dale here_ ," he said.  
  
"Is everything okay? I thought you'd be back aboard by now," she asked.  
  
" _Oh, I'm just finishing up some things here on the_ Normandy. _Goodbyes to say, favors to return. I'll get my gear and be back on the_ Aurora _soon._ "  
  
There was another incoming communication, audio-only. Julia accepted it. "Andreys here."  
  
" _Captain, this is Chief Hajaman at Transporter Station Two_ ," a Gersallian-accented female voice answered. " _Doctor T'Soni is requesting permission to beam to the_ Normandy. _But she doesn't have any authorization to leave the ship, and while I know she's not a full crew member, the orders I was given were pretty clear about the restrictions on transporter use..._ "  
  
Overhearing this, Robert smiled thinly. " _I asked her to come. You can use my authorization codes if you want._ " His meaning behind it was obvious. Robert was trying to protect her and the crew from any repercussions of whatever he was up to.  
  
"If you want," Julia said, knowing full well Robert wouldn't rest easy if she rebuffed him. She made sure Robert's call was patched in completely with the Chief's commlink.  
  
" _Chief Hajaman, Authorization Code Dale Papa Alpha Kilo 4324. Doctor T'Soni is responding to my request._ "  
  
" _Understood sir. Code authenticated. I'm transporting Doctor T'Soni now. Hajaman out._ "  
  
With that done Robert's attention returned to Julia. " _It's just some discussions I want to have while I wrap things up here. We'll both be back as soon as we can get away._ "  
  
Julia smiled thinly. Robert was selling a good line, but she could see the knowing look in his green eyes. He, or Shepard, was up to something. "Good to hear. You've been missed. And I could use the extra pair of eyes should Tom get into trouble again. He's always up to mischief, isn't he?"  
  
" _Always_ ," Robert agreed, smiling. " _I'll deal with it_."  
  
"Good luck with that. And remember that promise you'd be back aboard when this was over. You'd better keep it."  
  
Robert nodded at that. " _I intend to. Dale out._ "  
  
After his image disappeared, Julia looked at the inactive holo-viewer frame for a moment. "God, keep him alive," she finally said quietly. "Please."  
  
  
  
  
When the door to Udina's office opened, he glanced up in time to see it was Captain Anderson. "What is it, Anderson?" he demanded. "I've got business to attend to…" As he spoke, Anderson continued to approach him in a confident stride. "What are you…?"  
  
By this point Anderson was in reach. His fist shot forward so swiftly Udina had no chance to react. He felt a surge of pain and then blackness.  
  
Anderson, knowing he didn't have much time if anyone below heard Udina calling out to him, didn't bother pulling the ambassador from his seat. He knelt over the desk and ran his fingers along the hardlight keyboard. With Udina's systems unlocked he was able to swiftly interact with the dock systems. He found the order to secure the _Normandy_ from launch and rescinded it with a couple of key presses.  
  
_There you go, Shepard_ , he thought. _I've done what I can. It's all up to you._  
  
  
  
  
Robert was standing behind Shepard in the cockpit area of the _Normandy_. Many of the others were present as well. Shepard and Joker were both watching the dock systems interlink like hawks. Robert felt their impatience for the red lights, showing the _Normandy_ was locked into place and forbidden to leave, to change.  
  
Seconds felt like minutes, minutes like hours. He felt impatient himself for something to happen, anything. Seeing the lights go green drew a sigh of relief he'd not intended to make.  
  
"Take us out, now," Shepard ordered.  
  
"With pleasure, ma'am," replied Joker. He interacted with the dock control and triggered the magnetic grapples to withdraw. With expert precision Joker pulled the _Normandy_ out of the dock and turned her toward the open end of the Citadel. Her engines lit up and she shot off at maximum burn for freedom.  
  
  
  
  
Julia stepped out onto the bridge and looked to Jarod. "Report."  
  
"The _Normandy_ just flew out of the dock," he replied. Julia noticed a slight smile start to form on his face. "Ambassador Atama is screaming for us to intercept her before she can reach the Relay."  
  
"Lieutenant, put the Ambassador on," Julia ordered, glancing toward Tra'dur, currently manning Ops.  
  
"Yes Captain," Tra'dur answered. As always, her English was accented to make her sound Anglo-Indian.  
  
The holo-viewer went from the view of _Normandy_ burning away to Atama in his office. The aged Dorei male had an irritated expression. " _Captain, I know for certain that the_ Normandy _'s launch was unauthorized. Commander Shepard's gone rogue. Intercept her and tractor her back to the Citadel._ "  
  
Julia forced complete neutrality on her face, hiding the smile she wanted to form. "Ambassador, I'll remind you I'm under the most strict orders not to move the _Aurora_ from her position with the Citadel defense fleet. I'm afraid I cannot do anything."  
  
To that Atama's face turned into a deep frown. " _Captain, I am ordering you to stop the_ Normandy _!_ "  
  
"As you admitted earlier, you have no authority to order me to do anything, Ambassador," Julia replied. "In fact, the only thing you did was relay my orders from Command, including the provision that without their prior instructions the mere movement of my vessel toward the Relay would be punished by court-martial. Unless you have authorization from Command to the contrary, I have to assume that provision is still in place. I'm not going to throw my career away for Ambassador Udina's reputation."  
  
Angrily Atama reached for his controls. A moment later Captain King's image appeared. She was still in her ready office. " _Captain King, I must insist you intercept the_ Normandy _and relieve Captain Andreys from her post! Shepard's gone rogue and Captain Andreys is clearly in collusion…_ "  
  
" _Unfortunately, Mister Ambassador, we cannot move from our station at the Citadel,_ " King replied bluntly. " _My orders came straight from Minister Hawthorne. Captain Andreys is only obeying those instructions to the letter, as is appropriate. We cannot pursue_ Normandy _without instructions from the Defense Minister._ " Julia thought King was ready to smile herself. " _As for her purported 'collusion' with Shepard's act of barratry, I believe you personally informed her of the repercussions for disobeying Hawthorne's orders. It is hardly collusion, then, for the Captain to obey her instructions under such circumstances._ "  
  
" _Do you realize the repercussions of your refusal to act?_ " Atama demanded.  
  
" _That, I believe, is your department, Mister Ambassador, not ours. Good day._ Excalibur _out._ " King's image disappeared from the screen.  
  
With a disgusted look, Atama closed the channel. Against the holo-viewer showed the _Normandy_ , now approaching the Mass Relay.  
  
"At this point, I do not believe we could catch them even if we could try," Tra'dur noted. "They are already preparing transit."  
  
"Anyone trying to stop them?"  
  
"No. Not at all."  
  
Julia nodded. "We'll see how this goes then." She went over and sat at her command chair for the moment. "Monitor them until they make the transit."  
  
"Aye Captain," said Lieutenant Amira al-Rashad, the junior science/sensor specialist officer manning that station at the moment.  
  
"Robert's with Shepard, isn't he?" Jarod asked.  
  
"He is." Julia nodded. "God help them both."  
  
With that, the bridge personnel resumed work, and Julia and Jarod watched quietly as the _Normandy_ approached the Mass Relay. Blue energy crackled like lightning from the core of the Relay, linking to the _Normandy_. Blue light surged around the frigate until she was zipped away by the ancient device to another section of the galaxy.


	2. Chapter 2

The _Normandy_ 's route to the other side of the galaxy was going to take time, given the need to avoid the Arcturus Relay. They were two transits out when Shepard assembled every spare member of the crew in the mess hall. Only Joker, Adams, and a couple of command deck personnel were not physically present, but they would probably be listening in on the ship's intercom.  
  
Six weeks ago, when he was newly-arrived to the _Normandy_ , Robert might have stood off to the side, out of respect to not being an official member of the crew. But now he stood with Kaidan and Garrus. Tali, Wrex, and Ashley were seated at the table, along with newcomer Liara. Doctor Chakwas was in her chair, rolled out from her nearby infirmary. Navigator Pressly stood near Shepard. "I almost can't believe it," he said. "I never imagined I'd ever be part of something like that."  
  
"I'm going to reflect in my final report that I acted on my own authority and didn't give you time to leave the ship," Shepard said. "It may be enough to protect you."  
  
"To hell with that, Commander!" Pressly declared. "I'm with you on this one. This has to be done, and we're the crew to do it!" As he declared this Robert noticed he glanced toward the aliens, especially Tali. And while before he'd always sensed at least a little uncertainty, even distaste, from the man toward the non-Humans, today there was nothing but pride and respect. Robert wanted to smile just for that.  
  
Pressly's declaration resulted in Chakwas calling out "Hear hear!", and the Human crewmembers all cheered.  
  
Shepard beamed with pride, prompting further applause from her crew. But Robert sensed the guilt inside of her. Shepard knew that they would be held just as responsible by the Systems Alliance. Her actions were going to harm them all.  
  
_Compared to the Reapers, it's nothing_ , Robert thought, using the Flow of Life to send the thought into Shepard's being. Shepard looked his way and nodded. Her guilty feelings cleared up.  
  
"Do we have any idea what we'll find when we get there?" asked Ashley.  
  
"We know there are ruins of some kind," Shepard replied.  
  
"We know of Ilos through references in other recovered Prothean sites," Liara explained. "Images. It appears to have been both a city and a research colony of Prothean civilization. But I can't tell you what to expect."  
  
"Then we have to be ready for anything," said Garrus.  
  
"That's the Marine motto," Ashley said.  
  
"Uh, you mean the Scouts, don't you Sergeant?" Kaidan asked.  
  
To that she smiled in amusement. "They got it from us."  
  
"I'm… not so sure of that," Robert replied. "But wherever it's from, it's what we're facing."  
  
"What about your mystic life force thing?" Kaidan asked. "Is that giving you any insights?"  
  
Robert responded by concentrating for a moment. Usually it only gave him a sense of what to expect. Instead he felt himself fall away from the assembled. He was back in the Council Chamber. Flames still burned from damage around him. The broken bodies of Geth surrounded him. And in front of him, Shepard and Saren were facing off, Saren standing at the audience platform of the Chamber. "This is the only way!" Saren insisted.  
  
"You know it's not!" Shepard replied. "That's Sovereign talking! You have to fight it!"  
  
"I… I'm not… I have to…"  
  
The vision ended abruptly. Robert realized why from the pain rippling up from his backside. He'd literally fallen on his ass, much to his chagrin, while everyone on the crew watched in mystification. He blinked. "It's… it's a vision I've seen before," he said. "Never so strongly…"  
  
"What was happening?"  
  
"We… I saw you and Saren, arguing in the Citadel Council chamber," Robert replied. "As if we'd just fought our way through a bunch of Geth."  
  
"Wait." Ashley frowned. "On the Citadel? But isn't Saren heading to Ilos?"  
  
"You don't think we're wrong, do you?" Tali asked.  
  
Robert could sense Shepard's little particle of doubt. That Saren was seeking the Conduit was indisputable, but was he going to hit the Citadel first for some reason? Had she misjudged him? He drew in a breath. "No, I don't think we're doing the wrong thing," he said. "That's still only a possible future. And it may be something that happens after we deal with the Conduit."  
  
"Have you ever had these future flashes turn out wrong?" Wrex asked.  
  
Robert shuddered. "Yes. Thank God." His mind flashed back to Canary Wharf in London, Earth W8R4. The visions of the result of the Darkness coming through the rift the Daleks created to counter the Doctor's plans had been both horrifying and so strong as to debilitate him. From remembering that occasion, a part of him now wondered if the intensity of these visions was tied to his use of the Time Vortex.  
  
"It doesn't matter," Garrus insisted. "Wherever Saren's going, there's something on Ilos that he wants. If we find it first, maybe we can use it against him."  
  
"Yeah."  
  
"I'm not sure what this Conduit is," Liara said. "But it's clearly crucial to Saren's plan. Leaving the Citadel _was_ the right thing to do, Commander Shepard."  
  
Shepard looked to Robert again. He could sense his expression as it appeared in her eyes. He was certain. This helped her own certainty push down that particle of fear that she'd chosen wrong. "Alright," she said. "According to Joker, we won't be at Ilos for a few hours. Everyone should get some rest. You're all dismissed."  
  
  
  
  
It was getting late in the _Aurora_ work day when Julia finally got out of the meetings in the Citadel Tower. Matriarch Lidanya's defense planning was thorough, at least. In addition, should the Citadel's perimeter be breached, the _Destiny Ascension_ was bringing aboard the Council until further notice, ensuring a decapitation strike by Saren against the Citadel itself would not remove the Council from communication. The defense fleet therefore had two objectives: protecting the _Destiny Ascension_ as well as the Citadel.  
  
Julia found that part, giving the Council equal priority, disconcerting. While she understood the importance of maintaining galactic government, she couldn't help but think that three lives versus seven million was an easy choice. Even if the Council were wiped out, the three governments of the Council species would have backups ready to take their seats. Wouldn't they? She found herself wondering, darkly, if the Citadel races were in fact so arrogant and certain that they didn't have continuity of government and succession protocols in play for their Council members.  
  
While thinking Julia began to walk idly through the Presidium. She started on one of the crossbridges spanning the waterway running down the middle of the lush space. She glanced in the direction of a sight she remembered from her last visit to the Citadel, nearly two years before when she accompanied Lieutenant Commander Data of Starfleet on a visit. A scale replica of a Mass Relay was on a pedestal at the edge of the water. According to the history, the Asari found it when they first discovered the Citadel nearly three thousand years in the past. Possibly, Julia considered, within just a few centuries of the Darglan exploration of the M4P2 universe. _How would history in this universe be different if the Asari, like the Gersallians, were space-faring early enough to encounter the Darglan?_  
  
"Well, someone looks thoughtful."  
  
Julia's eyes widened at the familiar voice. She turned, a stunned if happy smile on her face, and immediately embraced the speaker.  
  
"Woh." Zack Carrey laughed. "You act like you haven't seen me in ages."  
  
"It's been months," she pointed out, still smiling. She enjoyed his acceptance of the hug for several moments before pulling back. To her surprise, and delight, Zack was in uniform. Black with burgundy red trim, the same as hers, three gold stripes on the neck to her four… the only difference was the silver aiguillette over his left shoulder that latched to the front of his uniform jacket, marking him as a staff officer. "They reactivated your commission?"  
  
"As of a week ago," Zack replied, smiling. "Admiral Maran's assigned me to staff duty until the psychiatrists clear me."  
  
"Then your problems…"  
  
"Not a drop," Zack assured her. "I haven't had even a sip of the stuff since that night on the _Tri'kep_."  
  
Julia recalled the name, that of the Gy'toran wind-sailer Zack and Robert journeyed on some months prior while visiting Gy'sara, the Gy'toran Homeworld. "That's good."  
  
"It is." Zack sighed. "I'm hoping that maybe I can get my ship back. I hear Will Atreiad's been doing great in my place."  
  
"He's a good one, and he tries to emulate your command style, even if it's not what he's used to from Adama."  
  
"Glad to hear it."  
  
"So what are you doing on the Citadel?" Julia asked.  
  
"I arrived a few days ago," Zack said. "I've been assigned as the Alliance military liaison officer to C-Sec. That mostly means handling joint training and equipment deals or dealing with problems concerning Alliance personnel. It's boring work. And local time means this is actually my pre-duty stroll before I have to report to my office at C-Sec HQ."  
  
"Huh. I'm at the end of my day." Julia sighed. "I guess this means no time for dinner?"  
  
"I'm afraid I already had breakfast," Zack said. "Before I looked up the morning's reports and found out you'd made it back."  
  
"You didn't know we'd been recalled?" Julia asked.  
  
"I'm the liaison officer to C-Sec," he said. "Not to the fleet. I wouldn't be on the list to be told first. I get to find out with everyone else." Zack sighed and shrugged. "Although one report they did give me was that the _Normandy_ slipped out without authorization. Robert's with Shepard, isn't he?"  
  
Julia nodded. "He is."  
  
"He'll make it," Zack assured her. "As much as his need to be the hero can be a pain in the ass, he's been getting good at it."  
  
"I know. But I'll still worry." At that, Julia couldn't fight back a yawn. "I'd better get back to the ship. I need to stay rested if the Geth attack."  
  
"Yeah." Zack gave her a small hug, their second of the meeting. "I'll talk to you later, okay. Sleep well."  
  
"Take care of yourself, Zack," Julia said. "And keep going at it. It's time we brought both you and Robert home, where you belong."  
  
To that, Zack could only grin before continuing on to his work.  
  
  
  
  
With the day winding down and Talara's training session completed, Lucy headed for the Lookout for a late dinner and the view. Specifically, the view of the Citadel, which was still awe-inspiring to her. She wondered about it; how it was built, why the nebula was chosen for its location, what the builders had intended for it. Was it always meant to be the center of galactic governance, or did it have some deeper purpose?  
  
"You seem preoccupied, Lucy."  
  
Lucy turned her head and looked up. Meridina took a seat beside her, carrying a plate of _liyume_. Presumably cooked by Hargert, just as the half-finished hamburger on Lucy's plate was. "How are you today?"  
  
"I'm alright. I spent the day doing boring operations duty. Helping the damage control teams check their gear lockers, mostly. Making sure the oxygen dischargers and emergency forcefield generators in their equipment were working."  
  
"An important task."  
  
"Yeah, well, at least I didn't have to do the general stores," Lucy said. "With two thousand people aboard, maintenance work on all of them is repetitive. Vital, yeah, but repetitive."  
  
"And how is Talara's training progressing?"  
  
"She's getting there. And is certainly getting used to standing on her head." Lucy leveled a look at her mentor. "But you've got something else on your mind." Lucy focused for a moment. "Let me guess. Anders?"  
  
"He spoke to me today."  
  
Lucy sighed. "Okay, right. Yeah, I didn't consult with him about freeing the Rachni Queen. It was just… so clear to me. That letting her go on her own was the best choice. I just acted. Just as you trained."  
  
"Yes. But there is one thing none can train you to do, Lucy, and that is knowing when to ignore that impulse."  
  
"Given it's vital to how this works…"  
  
"It is difficult, yes," Meridina agreed. "But there are times when it is not politic to do so. Major Anders doesn't have the same experience with us that Commander Kane did. You must build trust with him. It will take much effort, and you may have to ignore your _swevyra_ at times."  
  
"I guess." Lucy sighed. "This military stuff, it's… I get the chain of command issue, I do, but I don't think it really matters who makes the right decision when it's made."  
  
"Others will feel otherwise." Meridina used a utensil, the Gersallian equivalent of a fork, to pick at the folded over _liyume_ on her plate. "While there are many reasons _swevyra'se_ do not serve with military forces, I suspect this is one of the more obscure reasons."  
  
"Makes sense." Lucy shrugged. "Maybe I should just resign my commission then."  
  
Meridina gave her a concerned look.  
  
"Rob wants me on his Paladin team, right?" Lucy asked. Meridina nodded once to show she knew. "Well, I don't _have_ to be a serving officer. Not anymore than Garrus or Tali is with Shepard."  
  
"Somehow, Lucy, I suspect that will not solve the problem. Not unless you never work with Major Anders again. And I think that would be a mistake."  
  
"It's not like I'm out to undermine him, Meridina," Lucy protested. "But he's taking this way too seriously. I'm not one of his Marines and I never will be. It's not going to reflect anything on him if I act as I feel I need to instead of asking his permission for decisions. It's not just that either." Lucy put her hands together before her. "Julia's right, I'm not even an operations officer anymore, not a proper one. And whatever Richmond thinks or wants, I'm not going to be a security officer either. When it comes down to it, while I love being on the _Aurora_ , I'm not really a comfortable fit as a member of the official crew. So maybe I should embrace what Robert's offering. He and I will do the work that has to be done without having to worry to inform Anders."  
  
"I do not believe the Major is seeking to… put you in your place, or so your thoughts seem to be considering. He has a legitimate cause. You would never have contradicted me, would you? Nor do you try with Jarod or Tom."  
  
"Because I know what they're doing. All Anders has done since he joined this crew is second-guess me. On Noveria, on Therum, and even on Tira. He wants me to fit in a box and I can't. I won't force it."  
  
"Then perhaps you should discuss the matter with him," Meridina recommended.  
  
"Not sure it'll do any good, but I'll try." Lucy caught herself before Meridina could rebuke her. "Not try. Do. I'll convince him."  
  
Meridina smiled thinly. "Good. Now, I ask for your patience. Hargert has informed me he feels this 'paprika' seasoning will enhance the flavor of the _liyume_ , and I am quite curious as to if he is right…"  
  
  
  
  
A few tables over, Caterina and Angel were finishing a late dinner. Angel could see her sister was in a pensive mood. "How are you doing, Cat?" she asked.  
  
"I'm… okay, I guess," Cat admitted. "I'm just a little worried about Doctor T'Soni."  
  
"She went to the _Normandy_ , didn't she?" At Cat's nod Angel sighed. "Robert is going to be the death of me yet."  
  
"She's going through so much." Cat said, ignoring the remark about Robert. "I wonder if she's thinking this through."  
  
"Whatever she's doing, it's something she has to deal with. Everyone deals with grief in their own way. Just look at how we handled it."  
  
Cat nodded. "Do you think she'd be proud of us?" Seeing Angel's questioning look, Cat specified, "Mama. Do you think she'd be proud?"  
  
"Don't you doubt it for a moment, Cat," Angel insisted. "The only thing she'd be upset about is you being in danger. She'd be completely proud of you."  
  
"And you?"  
  
To that Angel's expression shifted to a wry grin. "When she wasn't chewing me out for letting you go into danger, yeah."  
  
Cat giggled at that. "I wish she was here, Angel."  
  
"So do I."  
  
"All of the things we could show her. And the technology… she'd finally be able to stop working all of the time. She could take it easy."  
  
"Mama, take it easy? Ha!" Angel laughed heartily at the mental image of her mother "taking it easy". "Mama would be vacuuming the carpets all across the ship. Just to do it."  
  
Cat shook her head, smiling, although she couldn't quite keep the tears from forming in her eyes. "Yeah, I guess she'd never stop doing things."  
  
"So there you are." Violeta drew their attention before taking a seat. Her plate had a hamburger with lettuce and pickles. Angel recognized the folded over thing beside it as a Gersallian _liyume_. "I finally got off the bridge. It's a shame we're at Condition 1."  
  
"Condition 1?" Angel blinked. "Wait, you mean Code Yellow?"  
  
"Yeah. That." Violeta smiled. "Sorry. I've been reading over some material for my next posting. The Captain's alerted us to some of the operating plans."  
  
"So you know which ship you'll be on?" Angel asked the question so Cat wouldn't have to. She could see the distant, sad look in her sister's eyes.  
  
Violeta noticed the same. She reached over and took Cat's hand. It didn't pass her notice that her girlfriend had been tearing up over something. "Yeah," she said. "The newest of the _Enterprise_ -class ships."  
  
"You mean the _Thunder Child_?" Cat asked.  
  
"No. The one after that. The _Huáscar_."  
  
"As in that Earthforce ship at Tira?"  
  
"Yeah. They ultimately named her from that ship and because the name has a history with the Peruvians and Chileans," Violeta explained. "Captain Varma, or Zhen'var, is going to be in command, and she's already informed the future command officers of some of the operating procedures on the ship. And some of the staff differences from regular Alliance ships. Half of the crew is going to be Dilgar."  
  
"I've heard some of their ships made it to the front after we were pulled out to start hunting Saren," Angel said. "But they're going to actually do that? Give them half the crew of one of the most advanced ships in the Alliance?"  
  
"Yeah, and the captaincy too. I mean, Captain Varma is one of them now. Literally."  
  
"That's… really weird. More than your cousin Louisa," Cat said.  
  
"It is. But I'd be a horrible Sirian if I let it get to me." Violeta put a fork into the _liyume_. "Anyway, she's going to use different operating procedures than we do here on the _Aurora_ , and I've got to brush up on them over the next few weeks before…" Violeta stopped, noticing the pain in Cat's face.  
  
"...before you go," Cat said softly.  
  
"Yeah." Violeta's hand tightened around Cat's a little. "I'm… yeah."  
  
"Well… at least you've got a big opportunity," Cat said. "The newest _Enterprise_ -class. That's… that's really special."  
  
"It is," Violeta agreed, not quite able to hide the guilt in her voice. She knew in her heart she'd make the choice again, to put her career first, but it didn't make it any easier to see how much she was hurting Cat. Whatever distance had grown between them since Cat went traveling with the Doctor, it was still clear that Cat loved having Violeta as a girlfriend, and she wouldn't heal from the loss quickly.  
  
"So how _is_ she running things? Going to run things, I mean?" Angel asked, hoping to distract Cat. "I get the feeling Varma would make Julia look like, well, like Robert when he was Captain."  
  
"Oh, that's a fair judgement," Violeta said knowingly before taking a bite of her food.  
  
  
  
  
Again Robert took to the medical lab at the back of the infirmary to be alone. Not just to meditate this time, but to practice with the lightsaber Lucy had built for him. The practice orb, running on an anti-grav Lucy built into the bottom, hovered around him, firing pulses of particles every several seconds. He sensed the shots coming and deflected them… or rather most of them. Occasionally he hissed or frowned upon taking a hit that truly stung.  
  
It was ridiculous and frustrating. A year ago, his inferior capabilities with the weapon compared to Lucy were at least understandable. He lacked her capacity for wielding life energy. There were some things he simply wasn't capable of. And that limitation at least made sense to him. It was inherent, and something he couldn't be responsible for.  
  
Now it was different. Instead of his power being insufficient, it was _too_ much. The limitation was now entirely his, from his issues with control. His lack of focus.  
  
He let the frustration build until he was missing more shots than he was hitting. The repeated stings went from mere annoyance to active aggravation. With his frustration peaking, Robert finally reacted by throwing his free hand at the hovering orb, willing it to just go away and stop zapping him.  
  
He knew his mistake the moment the power surged through him, uncontrolled. The wave didn't just gently knock the orb away, but struck it so hard that it was already sparking from damage when it struck the far wall and shattered like a thrown egg. Small machinery pieces rained down to the floor around the impact point.  
  
Dejected and humiliated, Robert disengaged his lightsaber and stormed from the room. He emerged out into the mess area, determined to see if the ship's shower stall was available.  
  
As he walked past the mess area, he heard Kaidan called out, "Is everything okay?" Upon Kaidan seeing the frown still on Robert's face, he chuckled and said, "I guess that answers that. Training problems?"  
  
"You could say that," Robert replied. "I was just going to jump into the shower if I could. While we still had time." He stopped and walked over to Kaidan. "Freshen up."  
  
"I'm not stopping you. Although Ash will probably break your nose if you walk in on her." Kaidan smiled thinly. "Or maybe not." When Robert gave him a bewildered look he chuckled. "Little joke. Someone started a rumor that Ash was _interested_ in you."  
  
"Ha," Robert laughed lamely. "I'd know."  
  
"Yeah. You're not really her type, I think. Maybe if you shaved, cut your hair."  
  
Robert laughed again, but this time with clear amusement. "It seems nobody appreciates my look."  
  
"Well, if you want to look like a warrior monk or something, I suppose that look works," Kaidan said. "So, how's training with that laser sword thing?"  
  
"Not so well. Frustrating, when it shouldn't be." Robert sighed. "And I… _may_ have broken the sparring device my friend made for my training"  
  
"Oh?"  
  
"Okay, not 'may'. Did." Robert shook his head. "Lost my temper, lashed out at it, lost control and smashed it against the wall. It's now a bunch of little pieces in my bag." Robert patted said bag. "Lucy is probably going to yell at me for it. It took her a few hours to build the thing for me."  
  
"Yeah, well, it could be worse," said Kaidan.  
  
"Oh?"  
  
Robert sensed the regret in Kaidan's voice as he spoke. "It could have been her neck you broke."  
  
"Ah." Robert nodded and moved over to a chair. He dropped into it. "I sense a story here."  
  
"From my time in BAaT out at Gagarin Station. Or 'Jump Zero', if you want. It's an old space station that served as the point for our first attempts at faster-than-light travel." Kaidan shook his head. "BAaT stands for 'Biotic Acclimation and Temperance Training'."  
  
"To deal with the first generation of Human biotics," Robert guessed.  
  
"Yeah. Spent months out there, no communications to anywhere else, being tormented by this absolute prick of a teacher that the operating corporation hired. A Turian biotic named Vyrnnus. He was ex-military but still demanded we address him as Commander. Used to brag that he piloted the dreadnought that killed our fathers in the First Contact War."  
  
Robert nodded. He'd read some materials on said conflict, the disastrous first contact between Humanity and the Citadel species from the Turians attacking Humans re-activating a dormant Mass Relay. After the Turians scored an early victory in overrunning a Human colony on Shanxi, the Systems Alliance had gained its prominence among M4P2 Humanity by organizing the pan-Human counter-attack that drove the Turian invasion out. The Turians likely would have escalated the war from there, but the Council stepped in and brokered a peace.  
  
Seeing he still had Robert's attention, Kaidan continued. "Well, one day Vyrnnus went too damn far. There was a biotic girl, Rahna… she was sweet and beautiful and... " Kaidan stopped and sighed. "Well, she made the mistake of reaching for water with her arm and not biotics. Vyrnnus lost his temper over that and broke her arm."  
  
Robert grimaced. "Didn't anyone vet this guy?"  
  
"The company was desperate to find an alien biotic for the training, I guess. Anyway, I lost my temper and hit him with a biotic strike. Vyrnnus took offense at that and started wailing into me. He drew a knife. So I gave him a hard kick with my biotics. Snapped his neck."  
  
"And that's why I feel a lot of regret from you?" asked Robert. "You wish I hadn't?"  
  
"I do. Not because I killed him. Vyrnnus… he'd already driven some of the others to suicide, or left them broken wrecks as people. He was a serious jerk and he was ready to kill me. But Rahna… she was scared of me after that. We stopped speaking."  
  
"I see." Robert considered the look on Kaidan's face at having revealed this secret. And his story… well, Robert knew his expression was dark. "I guess that's my fear. That I'll lose control and seriously hurt someone. Maybe even kill someone."  
  
"Give it time. I had to," Kaidan urged him. "I learned to control my biotics. Maybe a little too much. I'm not given to displays of biotic badassery like the Commander is."  
  
"Which is a real pity, Kaidan," Ashley's voice cut in. "Because your marksmanship needs work." She walked up to them, hair glistening from the shower water. She smiled at Robert. "Have I ever thanked you for introducing this replicator technology to our galaxy? Engineer Adams told me that the original schematics didn't have a full shower unit, it's only possible because of replicators."  
  
"You haven't, and you're welcome," Robert answered, smiling. "And now that you're out, I think I'd like to spend some time enjoying the benefit myself."  
  
"Water may be a little cold, but it's better than nothing."  
  
"Also better than sonic showers," Robert added, walking past her. "They install those on the attackers in our fleet. Normal showers are for COs only."  
  
"Sounds rough."  
  
Robert nodded once in agreement and continued on.  
  
Over their heads, the ship's intercom activated. " _This is Commander Shepard. We're about to go through the Mu Relay and we'll be coming up on Ilos shortly. I want all team members on standby for deployment_."  
  
"Sorry, Captain," Ashley said to Robert. "Looks like you're going to have to wait on that."  
  
"Tell me about it," Robert groaned before joining them in heading for the lift. He'd been looking forward to that shower…  
  
  
  
  
The Mu Relay loomed ahead of the _Normandy_ through a wisp of ancient particles left by the supernova that sent it flying into interstellar space. Joker transmitted his desired destination of Ilos to the Relay and flew the _Normandy_ right up to it. For all that the Mu Relay was legendary as a lost piece of the network, there was nothing special about the way it activated, catapulting the _Normandy_ across vast stretches of space in a single moment.  
  
Robert arrived with Ashley at the cockpit area in time to overhear Joker saying, "Commander, we've got company." A glance to the sensors showed the squadron of Geth warships in orbit. Robert frowned a little at their number; entirely too few. Barely more ships than there'd been over Virmire, and Saren's fleet of Geth ships was larger than that. _So where are the rest of them?_  
  
"Have their sensors picked us up yet?" Liara asked.  
  
"Negative. Stealth systems are engaged. They won't know we're here until they can get a visual on us."  
  
At the sensor station behind Joker, Pressly looked over returns from the planet. "I'm picking up some strange readings from the surface."  
  
"And I'm sure Saren found them too," Shepard noted. "Take us down, Joker."  
  
"Negative on that, Commander," Pressly said. "Nearest landing zone is two klicks away."  
  
"It'll take too long to catch up on foot, we have to find something closer," Ashley insisted.  
  
To that Pressly gave her an irritated look. "There _isn't_ anything closer! I've looked!"  
  
"Then we'll drop in the Mako," Shepard said.  
  
"Commander, it won't work, you need at least a hundred meters of open terrain for a drop like that," protested Pressly. "The best I can find near Saren is twenty."  
  
Ashley shook her head. "Twenty meters? No way we can make a drop there."  
  
That prompted Liara to insist, "We have to try!" Robert felt additional tension from her, a worry that this was for nothing, that she wouldn't be able to get justice for Benezia.  
  
"It's suicide!" Ashley shot back. "We need another landing zone!"  
  
"There is no other landing zone!" was Pressly's reaction.  
  
The frustration in the cockpit grew among the assembled. Even as Tali remarked on the descent angle being too steep for the ship, Robert rubbed his forehead. He knew, deep down, it wouldn't alleviate the pressure in his head. But he needed something as relief from the feelings he was getting from the others. Liara's impatient worry, Ashley's concern for the landing, Pressly's frustration with the sensor findings… it all added up and combined with Robert's own frustration with the situation. To come all of this way and fail because the terrain worked against them...  
  
"I can do it," Joker declared.  
  
Everyone went quiet. Everyone, that is, except for Shepard. She leveled a knowing look at him. "Joker?"  
  
"I can do it," he repeated. Robert felt his confidence cut through the feelings of the others.  
  
Shepard simply nodded. "Alright." She turned to Robert and the others. "Everyone go gear up, _now_ , and head to the Mako. We're going to finish this!"  
  
Ashley still had doubts, but Robert felt her push them aside. Her commander was confident they could make it work, so there was nothing more to say. Together they left the cockpit area at not quite a run.  
  
"Good luck, Commander," said Pressly, saluting as he did. "Give Saren hell."  
  
"That was the plan, Lieutenant," Shepard replied, returning the salute as she did. "Once we're on the surface, get back to the Relay. Head to Arcturus and link up with the Fleet."  
  
"Will do, Commander."  
  
Shepard felt satisfied at Pressly's response. She left to join the others.


	3. Chapter 3

The Geth fleet didn't detect the _Normandy_ as it dove into the planet's atmosphere. With its nose pointed downward the ship flew in toward the ancient ruins that marked Ilos. Sensors quickly detected the presence of Geth power signatures and what looked like a very abnormal Turian life sign. Pressly confirmed the location and left the final approach to Joker. The veteran navigator of the _Normandy_ took in a breath. For all his faith in Joker's flying ability, he still expected the ship to go smashing into the ground. But if their deaths gave Shepard and her team the necessary opening to stop Saren, then… he could, for lack of better wording, live with such an end.  
  
As the ship descended the cargo bay ramp opened. Behind the driver's seat, Shepard gave one last glance to her team of seven. Every seat was full, with Wrex, Tali, and Liara on one side and Garrus, Kaidan, and Robert on the other. Ashley was at the gunner's seat beside Shepard. Everyone was fastened in.  
  
"Hold on!" she called out. An active feed to the ship showed the rapidly-approaching optimum launch point. "This is going to be close!"  
  
When the point was reached Shepard jammed the throttle. The Mako shot from the _Normandy_ and plunged to the surface of Ilos. The thruster jets built into the Mako's belly fired to slow descent to non-lethal levels. Above them the _Normandy_ leveled out. Joker narrowly evaded a spire in the ruins while maneuvering the ship to return to orbit.  
  
Below the Mako, the roar of the _Normandy_ 's engines brought Saren's attention. He looked up in time to see the Mako drop. With the new enhancements he issued orders to the Geth, summoning his rearguard to this spot to crush Shepard and her people, while he and the bulk of his forces continued on to a tunnel ahead.  
  
While the Mako descended Ashley triggered the vehicle's weapon systems, using the scope to zoom in on Saren as he walked into the tunnel. A big four-legged Geth platform stepped between them. A plasma shot rose in the air toward the Mako and splashed against its protective fields. "Barrier holding," Ashley confirmed.  
  
Shepard didn't react. She was busy guiding the Mako in. As the ground loomed she watched the door behind Saren begin to close.  
  
Everyone shook violently against their safety restraints when the Mako slammed into the ground. It rolled forward from momentum, heading for the closing door. Shepard nearly hit the throttle to try and get through just to hold back. She knew it wouldn't work, and getting the Mako damaged and stuck was not acceptable. She slammed the break instead. Everyone watched in horror as the big Prothean blast doors closed ahead of them, barring the way, and seemingly ensuring a crash.  
  
But there was no final impact with those doors, simply the lurch of the Mako coming to a stop, mere centimeters short.  
  
Immediately Ashley turned the turret away from the doors. "Geth on all sides, ma'am," she said. "And there's not a lot of room for maneuver."  
  
"Tali, check the shocks, I think one of them failed from the landing," Shepard ordered. She pulled the Mako away from the door and executed a half turn in reverse, presenting the broad side of the vehicle to the door and the opposite end of it. "Ashley, stay on that gun, use your discretion. Everyone else, we need to clear the Geth!"  
  
By now everyone was unlatching themselves from their seats. None were surprised by the fact Shepard beat them to the door.  
  
The incoming Geth fire was vicious. The Mako gave them all initial cover, but its particle barriers couldn't withstand the assault for long. To either side Geth platforms were lining up on higher ground to pour fire down. Others were coming from the opposite direction of the door.  
  
Once outside Shepard immediately began tracking targets. Her biotics flared to life and went out in bolts of dark blue matter. Upon impact the spatial warping her attacks caused sent Geth flying into the air, flailing and utterly helpless. Kaidan, first behind Shepard, picked them off with his rifle.  
  
Toward the other end, Wrex and Robert moved ahead. Wrex absorbed shots with a biotic field and retorted with an assault rifle. Robert called upon his recent training and brought to bear his lightsaber to deflect as much incoming fire as he could. Behind him Garrus raised his sniper rifle and began to pick off the targets showering fire on Robert and Wrex.  
  
Liara moved to assist Shepard. Biotic energy wreathed her figure and she threw a bolt of the dark matter into the midst of several Geth platforms on one of the upper levels of the ruins. The dark matter expanded into a swirling, angry vortex, a singularity that lifted all of the Geth from their feet. They rotated around the singularity. Kaidan began gunning them down.  
  
Before he could finish them off, Shepard threw another biotic pulse toward them. It struck Liara's singularity. The energies mixed and expanded. In a burst of power the singularity exploded, sending the Geth platforms caught in it flying in all directions. They flew with such force they were smashed and broken upon impact.  
  
On the other flank, Garrus' sniper work picked off Geth platforms one by one behind Robert's protection. Wrex moved back into cover and continued to fire into the Geth.  
  
All during this time, the Mako's guns roared. The coaxial machine gun mowed down Geth platforms charging toward them, stopping when necessary to let the weapon cool. Whenever Ashley did so, she made sure to trigger the main gun, which never failed to nearly obliterate the Geth in proximity to its shots.  
  
And yet… the Geth kept coming.  
  
"We've got to get through that door!" Shepard shouted.  
  
"The control to it must be on a remote." Kaidan lowered his weapon and used the omnitool to scan the door. "We'll never blow it down with the Mako's main gun, that's for sure."  
  
"And I don't like our odds for fighting through this attack," Garrus added. After speaking he pinpointed a Geth sniper targeting Shepard from behind and fired. The tell-tale red beam of the Geth sniper vanished.  
  
Shepard stepped back into cover, Liara doing the same. She looked across to the others. "Robert, can you open it?!"  
  
Robert let his arms continue to move almost on their own accord while thinking about it. He knew he was capable of some major feats now. But could he open that door? And could he do it without losing control of the power?  
  
"Robert?!"  
  
Shepard's voice worked to compel his focus on the matter. The truth was, he had little choice. He had to do it. Without doubt. Or they'd never get out of here, Saren would win… and he would fail Julia and the others. He'd promised to come home, so come home he would.  
  
"I need a minute!" Robert deflected another few shots, sending one of them into the flashlight head of a Geth and wrecking it. Once he was in cover he shut off the lightsaber and returned it to his belt. He got onto his knees and looked up at the door. Inside of him a swell of power rose, ready for use, as if the Flow of Life itself was responding to his need. While gunfire continued around him Robert drew in a breath and focused that burgeoning power within.  
  
He brought his hands up and let his power flow through them, using them as a physical focus. He pressed against the door, demanding it open, _willing_ it open.  
  
Somewhere metal protested. Slowly the giant door slid open, screeching as it did.  
  
Behind him Shepard jumped into the Mako. "Tali, are we good?"  
  
Tali rose from the compartment below the cargo area. "I replaced a couple of bolts and re-calibrated the mass effect field generators. The Mako can move."  
  
"Help the others give cover fire. We're going through the door now," Shepard ordered. She pulled the harness over her chest and reached for the driving controls.  
  
Tali nodded and pulled her shotgun out from the small of her back. She jumped out of the Mako as the main gun roared again. The blast blew apart another group of Geth. One who managed to avoid more than superficial damage went down to a blast from Tali's gun. Nearby Liara generated a biotic field to protect Wrex and Kaidan as they returned fire.  
  
Garrus returned his sniper rifle to its attachment point on his back. As the weapon shifted into its more compact non-use state, he reached down and gripped Robert's arms. "Come on," he said. "We've got to get you through the doors."  
  
Robert let Garrus lift him. He replied only with a nod. Sweat filled his eyes and a strain made him feel like his body, even his inner self, wanted to come apart. The engines keeping the door closed were fighting him, trying to snap it closed. Given the Mako was only a quarter of the way through, he couldn't let his grip up.  
  
At the halfway point a cry came from behind. Kaidan stumbled through the door clutching his leg, the victim of a direct hit that broke through his protective barrier. Tali rushed to his aid. Robert felt Kaidan's pain, his fear, and what felt like shame at being the one to get hit and thus slow his allies down. Those feelings, and those of the rest of the team, threatened to distract Robert's focus. The well of power he was channeling threatened the same.  
  
The Mako cleared the door and Shepard stopped. She jumped from the Mako and advanced, shotgun in hand. Robert sensed why immediately; the Geth were gathering behind them, looking to push through. He felt Liara's strain, and Wrex's; they were trying to hold the fire back with biotic fields while Garrus got Robert through the door's threshold. "If you have to, leave me," he rasped. "Stop Saren."  
  
A part of him recoiled at the statement. Not just the part that wanted to live, but the part that loved his friends, his family, that knew how Julia and Angel and Zack and Beth and all of the others would take it to find out he died here on this dead world…  
  
"Not happening," Garrus insisted, helping Robert through. "There might be more doors further down we'll need you to open." There was a hint of humor in the Turian's voice that, even with everything he was focusing on, made Robert grin.  
  
The others filed in behind them, Shepard coming last to cover Liara. "We're in!" she shouted.  
  
Much to his relief, Robert relaxed. He felt the energy flow cease and his power released the doors. The machines driving them slammed them closed just as a Geth platform rushed to get through. It was flattened for its trouble.  
  
"How are you?" Tali asked Robert. "You look pale."  
  
After removing his helmet Robert wiped at his sweat-drenched forehead and nodded. "Yeah, I feel it too. The machinery here is pretty powerful, and I'm not used to throwing that much power around and controlling it." He drew in a breath. "Let's get going, I'll recover in the Mako."  
  
"Just what I was thinking," said Shepard. "Let's go people!"  
  
  
  
  
The Alliance military liaison office at C-Sec HQ was found in the administrative section of the structure, closer to the Presidium side than the side that led into the lift tubes toward the Wards. It was important enough that the Alliance budgeted a secretary/aide. Zack's predecessor, an Alakin army officer, had thus hired a Turian female, Kalera, with brownish coloring and gray eyes. "Commander?" she asked, standing at the opening to the inner office. "Officer Bailey is here to see you."  
  
"Send him in." Zack looked up in time to see the older, middle-aged C-Sec officer step in. Zack had the feeling the Turian-dominated force assigned Bailey to Zack simply out of disrespect for Bailey… and perhaps for Zack. "What can I do for you?"  
  
"I'm just confirming those shipment of pulse pistols arrived," Bailey said. His voice was rough and gravelly; that and his accent reminded Zack very much of Colonel Sam Tigh of the Colonials.  
  
Zack quickly checked his records. "Yes, I've got the shipment here. We routed it here aboard the _Starship Barroso_. They've already delivered it to a holding warehouse in Zakera Ward leased by the Alliance. I've got the location here."  
  
"Thanks." Bailey shook his head. "It's nuts. We're expecting Saren and his Geth to attack, and they're still bothering about the pulse pistols."  
  
"It's because they're a non-lethal option, and C-Sec's eager to make use of them, I thought?" Zack asked.  
  
"Yeah. It makes sense to me. Maybe people will stop trying Suicide by Cop." Zack noticed Bailey's pained look which quickly disappeared. "And fewer shooting fatalities is always useful. Although we'll still have to be careful about the Quarians."  
  
Zack nodded. "I can imagine. Although are they really that much of a problem? I've met the Quarians before, I even had a Quarian kid help my ship deal with the Batarians."  
  
"I'm sure they were a help, but the Quarians… they don't have the most respect for property, you know what I mean?" Bailey shook his head. "The damndest thing is that they're otherwise the easiest species to deal with. They stay in their shelters and work well if they're given jobs. But we still end up hauling in the new kids all the time on petty theft. They're always grabbing tools or materials when they shouldn't."  
  
"How much of that comes from prejudice, though?" Zack asked. "I mean, people assuming a Quarian must be a thief?" He thought back to Vidinos, the Turian special forces officer who had proven so bigoted he'd even insisted Zack shouldn't answer distress signals from Quarian ships.  
  
"You can usually tell the genuine thefts from the false alarms," Bailey said. "If you've got the brains God gave you, anyway. If someone comes up saying a Quarian stole their credit chit or some fancy jewelry, it's usually false. If it's a tool or some piece of technology, on the other hand…" Bailey shook his head. "With the pulse pistols, we'll have to do tests to ensure they don't disrupt a Quarian's suit."  
  
"It'd help if you had a Quarian on the force," said Zack. "But from what I've seen, there's not a single Quarian in C-Sec."  
  
"No Vorcha, Krogan, Drell, or Hanar either, Commander. And obviously no Batarians. C-Sec doesn't discriminate, we simply don't get some species volunteering." There was something in Bailey's voice that told Zack it wasn't so simple. "Anyway, I'd better get back to it."  
  
"And I have to do the same," Zack said. He sighed. "I've got a mountain of paperwork on this job." He checked his first report. "And people demanding I have C-Sec do this or that. As if I can command you people to do anything."  
  
"I don't envy your crank notes."  
  
"Yeah. How about this?" Zack called up one. "'C-Sec is allowing a brothel to operate in full view of the Presidium. This is unacceptable and I urge you to do what you must to rectify this intolerable situation.' Signed by… someone I don't know."  
  
"A what? A brothel?" Bailey chuckled. "Let me guess? Some idiot who thinks that's what the Consort is running?"  
  
"The Consort?" Zack blinked.  
  
"An Asari Matriarch named Sha'ira. She runs things out of a building on the Presidium, across from the Embassies. Some kind of self-help thing, I hear. Among other things." Bailey shrugged. "Even if she's running a brothel, Sha'ira has so many connections I'm not sure we could do anything about it."  
  
"Well, not my problem anyway." Zack removed the messages from his screen. "So… have you heard anything about this supposed attack?"  
  
"They treat us like mushrooms, especially Humans," Bailey groused. "You extraversals know that one, don't you?"  
  
"Kept in the dark and fed on crap," Zack said as reply. "Yeah."  
  
"I'd use a longer word than 'crap', but it'll do." Bailey moved for the door. "I'd better file this with my superiors. Thanks for your time, Commander."  
  
"I'm not going anywhere," Zack answered. Once Bailey was gone he sighed. He glanced toward the small window that faced the Presidium. After several days on the Citadel he was starting to enjoy the view.  
  
Depending on one's point of view, it was a good or bad thing that the one visible establishment through the window was an outdoor bar. From here Zack could watch members of many species drinking away their worries. A familiar urge came to him. And with practiced precision he forced it away, after which he glanced at his omnitool. It activated its interface and displayed the time in both Citadel and Alliance Interuniversal Standard. He glanced back toward the bar one last time. A part of him considered whether it would really hurt to have just one drink. Just one. One of the local types. He'd heard good things about Serrice Ice Brandy.  
  
But he knew the truth. The same truth his mother had tried and failed to instill in his father, the truth he'd tried and failed to do the same with. And he knew that, especially with how he felt, one would definitely be too much. Instead he would stay and fulfill his appointment to his psychiatrist for a private session. Or as private as he could get half a galaxy and a universe away from New Liberty.  
  
Zack walked out of the office. The outer area was very small, dominated by the desk behind which Kalera was sitting. "I'm going to be out for a few hours," he said. "Log anything coming in for when I get back."  
  
"Understood, Commander," was the immediate reply.  
  
Zack closed and locked his inner office door before departing. He took the lifts into Aroch Ward. The apartment that the Alliance Defense Command rented for him as liaison officer was one of the mid-range apartments, in the upper floors of a residential tower known as the Laranis Complex. From what he'd observed since arriving, the Asari were the most plentiful species in the tower, including almost all of the personnel. A lavender-complexioned Asari gave him a lovely smile as he walked past the reception desk toward the lifts. "A good day, Commander?" she asked pleasantly.  
  
"So far… T'Mara, isn't it?"  
  
His response was a smile that made his heart ache. "You remembered," the Asari said. "Thank you… are you alright?"  
  
Zack forced the sad look from his face. "I'm sorry, you just… reminded me of someone."  
  
"Oh?" After a moment the Asari maiden put it together. Her own pleasant look slipped away. "I'm sorry. I didn't know…"  
  
"It's alright." He moved on to the lift beside the desk and hit a key to summon the lift's car. As he waited he looked back to T'Mara and asked, "How is your day, by the way?"  
  
"It is alright. I'm actually a little nervous. Today's the day for my appointment with the Consort. I've waited for eight months."  
  
"Oh?" Zack considered what he knew about the Consort by reputation, including his earlier conversation with Bailey. "I guess that costs a lot?"  
  
"Not as much as you think. The Consort sets payment by percentages of income so that anyone can visit. Actually, I'm not just going for comfort, but I'm hoping she might consider letting me be one of her assistants."  
  
Zack considered that and, again, the reputation of the people in question. "You're certainly nice enough," he said. The lift door dinged and opened. "Good luck."  
  
"Thank you, Commander Carrey," T'Mara replied.  
  
The lift ride up didn't take too long. The entrance to the apartment was three doors down to the right once he was on the floor he needed. He entered to find a thousand square foot apartment. A grand vista of Aroch Ward was visible through the giant window that faced outward from his apartment. He calmly set his pulse pistol and its holster down on the table near the entrance door and stepped into the living area. A quick trip to the adjoining kitchen, with its dark gray surfacing glistening from the efforts of the VI-controlled cleaning drones, gave him the glass of cool filtered water he wanted. Once he was done he went to a panel and activated the apartment's communication system and a protocol he'd installed into it. It took mere seconds for the system to link up the galactic extranet with the Alliance interuniversal comm network. Once this was done, holoprojectors in the room came alive. A middle-aged man, Caucasian with snow-white hair brushed back, appeared in a chair. Zack walked over and sat in a chair, a comfortable one within a ring of prepared holographic recorders. This would transmit his image in the other direction, allowing virtual face-to-face conversation between doctor and patient. "Hey Sydney."  
  
" _Zachary_." The New Liberty-based psychiatrist nodded. He had a warm expression on his face. Even with his workload as the head of New Liberty Colony's psychiatric services, Sydney had insisted on taking Zack's case personally. Although he didn't say so, Zack was certain it was from Sydney's sense of obligation for the old Facility crew, the people who had rescued Jarod and given him the family and place he'd always deeply wanted. " _How are you today?_ "  
  
Zack closed his eyes. "Stressed. Worried. My best friend is off risking his life while I'm here pushing paper." He opened them again and looked Sydney eye-to-holographic-eye. "I want a drink."  
  
Sydney nodded knowingly. " _I can only imagine._ "  
  
"I know one is too much. I know." Zack laid back in the chair. "It still… it gnaws at me." He rubbed at his forehead, feeling that need, resisting it. "I hold it off. But there are times I almost give in. I'm worried that I'll always want a drink."  
  
" _Your addiction is psychological as much as physical, Zachary. This is an illness you will be dealing with for a long time. That's why I'm here._ " Sydney seemed to make a note of something. " _How is the Citadel? Are you acclimating well?_ "  
  
"I suppose." Zack shrugged. "Honestly, I don't expect this assignment to be permanent. I'll either get a ship again or…" Left unsaid was the worry he felt inside, and how it would lead to the end of his hopes.  
  
Sydney clearly knew what went unsaid. " _It's always good to have a grasp of your situation and the consequences of your actions. But don't let it weigh on you, Zachary. This is something you have to take one day at a time._ "  
  
"Yeah, you said that before." There was an edge to Zack's voice. "But right now, as we're talking, my best friend is risking his life to save this galaxy. Maybe even the whole Multiverse. We should be backing him up, but we're not because of politics. And it's so frustrating…"  
  
  
  
  
The Mako rumbled on through the underground bunker. Using the vehicle's internal displays to show the surroundings, all could see the walls lining up to either side, cast gray, with black capsules extending out from both sides. "What are those?" Ashley wondered aloud.  
  
"They must be cryogenic capsules," Liara said. "The Protheans may have used them in an attempt to survive."  
  
Garrus shook his head. He had his sniper rifle in one arm so he could fiddle with the sight. "It obviously didn't work."  
  
"You're correct." There was a wistfulness in Liara's voice. "Still, to be here, to be on Ilos… this is something archaeologists and Prothean experts have dreamed of for over a millennium."  
  
In his seat, Robert remained quiet for the moment. The control and power needed to hold the blast doors open had demanded quite a lot from him. He enjoyed the chance to relax, such as he could given the circumstances. He listened to their conversation without a word while he felt his energy settle.  
  
And yet, through the Flow of Life, Robert sensed something. A feeling that permeated this area of Ilos. For a moment he thought it was the cool quiet of the dead world, and those who died upon it, but after several moments he realized it was something else. "Hope," he murmured.  
  
"Huh?" Kaidan looked to him with surprise. "What are you saying?"  
  
"That's what I'm feeling," Robert said. "A sense of… hope. Hope in the future. Hope that it will turn out alright, an awakening…"  
  
Liara looked at him intently. "You feel what they felt?" Liara asked. "What they felt when they went into the stasis pods?"  
  
"I believe so," Robert confirmed. "There's a lot of death on this world. Some it is… very old. Maybe older than the Protheans. But it's like a small spark of warmth in the cold."  
  
"I wonder why they didn't wake up?" Shepard wondered idly.  
  
"Something must have gone wrong," Liara said. "The Reapers never came here. I think. Otherwise Sovereign would not have needed to hunt the Conduit like he did."  
  
"Maybe the Protheans went to sleep in the hopes they would wake up when the Reapers were gone?" Tali asked.  
  
"It is a possibility," Liara agreed.  
  
"I don't care about that," Wrex said. "What I want to know is what they were doing here. What's this 'Conduit' thing for?"  
  
"Whatever it was made for, we know it's useful for the Reapers." Robert felt a suspicion in that thought. They were missing something. An intent… but even now, with his abilities, it felt nebulous.  
  
"I could spend decades of my life here," Liara confessed. "There is so much to learn about the Protheans on this world." Seeing the others glancing toward her, Liara shook her head. "But that is not my focus. Stopping Saren is."  
  
"Good to hear." Shepard kept her eyes forward. "There will be plenty of…"  
  
The sudden stop of her sentence was joined by the Mako coming to a sudden stop. Ahead of them, a somewhat translucent field of pale gray popped into existence. A similar field appeared behind. "We're trapped!" Tali cried out.  
  
"Maybe not." Garrus indicated another display. There was a door in the wall. "Maybe it's some kind of security checkpoint. We should go check it out."  
  
"We will." Shepard unlatched her harness. "Tali, Ashley, Wrex, you stay with the Mako for now, deal with any Geth that attack and stay in touch." She went to the side door and opened it. "Everyone else, fall in with me."  
  
Robert got out of his seat, as did Garrus and Kaidan, but none could beat the speed of Liara in getting to Shepard's side. Robert sensed enthusiasm swelling within her other, darker emotions of grief and anger. Liara was in a dream come true. As such, she was the first to follow Shepard through the door, and the first on the lift ahead as well.  
  
  
  
  
The final hours of the day were coming for the _Aurora_. The Gamma Shift watches were assuming their posts, Beta Shift were going into standby, and Alpha Shift was mostly heading to bed.  
  
Mostly.  
  
Two of the ship's senior officers were sitting in the Lookout at a table beside the transtanium windows. For Nick Locarno, the view of the Citadel was the kind of sight he'd once joined Starfleet to see, before his mistakes sent his life off-course. That he was here, now, was more due to his desire to make up those mistakes.  
  
"It's quite a sight, isn't it?" asked Leo Gillam, the ship's chief medical officer.  
  
"It is." Locarno shook his head and took a sip of synthehol schnapps provided by Hargert. It lacked the kick of the real stuff, but with a Code Yellow alert it was the best they could have. "What gets me is that someone wants to destroy it."  
  
"Actually, I wonder about that." Leo leaned forward over the table. "The Citadel is supposed to date back to the Protheans, right?"  
  
"Yeah."  
  
"So if these Reapers wiped out the Protheans, why did they leave the Citadel _intact_? Why are the keepers still around? Or, hell, the Mass Relay network?"  
  
"Damned if I know," Locarno murmured.  
  
"Anyway, what galls me is that Shepard had to go out and deal with this on her own," Leo confided. "The _Normandy_ 's got stealth, but the Geth have a lot of ships. If Saren brought just a fraction of them to Ilos, she'll be outnumbered."  
  
Locarno said nothing, although he was reading plenty from Leo's irritated expression.  
  
"Maybe we should have dared the Ambassador to stop us," said Leo. "Maybe we should have gone to Ilos too…"  
  
"In this situation, there's no good, right choice, just mixed ones," said Locarno. "In the end, given the circumstances, Julia's making the right call staying."  
  
"Even with this political bullcrap going on?" Leo grumbled.  
  
"Yeah, even with that. Now, don't get me wrong. It's a stupid decision. But going to Ilos really might have provoked the Terminus Systems. And they'd never miss the presence of a ship like the _Aurora_."  
  
"They have to know what's going on with Saren, they'd know why."  
  
"Maybe, maybe not. It might give them the excuse to launch attacks on our systems," Locarno pointed out.  
  
Leo knew he was right. He grumbled an acknowledgement, as much as he wished Locarno was wrong. It irritated him that they had to listen to jumped up dictators and warlords like the Terminus leaders. And because of that, the galaxy might yet fall to a threat nobody was willing to consider, much yet ready to face.  
  
"We should probably get some sleep," Locarno said. "We may need the rest."  
  
"Right." Leo stood up. "I'll see you in the morning for that staff meeting."  
  
"I'll be there." Locarno stood from the table as well. They walked out the port entrance, heading for the lift to take them to their quarters on Deck 3.  
  
  
  
  
Upon going through the door in the tunnel, Shepard and her team were met by a lift. The ancient interface for it glowed with power. Upon pressing it, the door behind them sealed and the floor began moving downward at an angle, descending a ramp. On both sides viewing ports allowed them to look out at more capsules. Undergrowth from the vegetation was overtaking the area. "This technology still works, after all of this time." Liara's voice was breathless. "This is amazing…!"  
  
"The Protheans built things to last," said Garrus. "I mean, think of those towers on Feros…"  
  
"And the beacons," Kaidan added.  
  
"Not to mention the various ruins that our species all used to reverse engineer mass effect technology," Garrus continued. Robert sensed a suspicious thought come to his mind. "Although now that we know about the Reapers..."  
  
The lift came to a stop. The door ahead slid open, revealing a walkway looking out at another stretch of the tunnel. Far more black capsules covered the walls on both ends beyond the end of the walkway. The walkway itself terminated in a panel. A garbled holographic image of brown color was hovering in the air in front of the panel.  
  
"What is it? Some kind of VI interface?" Kaidan's question went unanswered as they approached.  
  
" _Greetings_ ," an electronic voice stated. " _I am Vigil. You are safe here for the moment, although soon there will nowhere safe left in the galaxy._ "  
  
"I can understand it," Liara said, awed. "It's speaking to us in a language we can understand!"  
  
" _I have monitored your communications since your arrival and learned the language to interact with you. As I do not detect the taint of indoctrination on you, unlike the organic I sensed before, I must conclude there is still hope._ " The holographic image remained garbled, but it seemed to shift and waver with the speech. " _I am an advanced analysis program formed from the personality imprints of Ksad Ishan, chief overseer of the Ilos facility._ "  
  
"Why did you bring us here?" asked Shepard.  
  
" _You must break a cycle that has continued for untold millions of years. To do so, you must understand the threat your galaxy faces or you will make the same mistakes we did._ "  
  
"The Reapers, you mean?" asked Robert.  
  
" _Yes_. _To stop them, you must know how they function. I must explain. The key is the Citadel. It is the heart of your civilization and the seat of galactic governance, just as it was in our time and in all civilizations that come before._ "  
  
"So why do the Reapers leave it intact?" Garrus asked.  
  
" _Because it is a trap_ ," Vigil answered. " _The Citadel is actually an enormous mass relay which links to dark space, the starless void beyond the galaxy's horizon. When the relay is activated the Reapers will pour through and everything you know will be destroyed._ "  
  
"That's… incredible," said Liara. "But how? My people have lived on the Citadel for over two and a half millennia. How could we have missed this?"  
  
" _The Reapers are careful to hide the Citadel's secret_. _They developed the keepers as seemingly-benign organic drones to operate the Citadel. With the keepers maintaining the station, species that discover the Citadel are dissuaded from examining the station themselves. They never learn of the technology operating the station, or of its true capability. Not until it is too late._ " Vigil's form continued to waver, rippling lines filling the garbled hologram. " _That was our fate. We never realized that the keepers were a threat. Once they received a command signal, they activated the Citadel mass relay. The Reapers came through the relay and wiped out our leaders. Once they had control of the Citadel, they used it to seize control of the mass relays. In a single strike, they crippled Prothean civilization and divided it into isolated systems and clusters. We were helpless against their fleets._ "  
  
"Given how Sovereign spoke on Virmire, I'm guessing they didn't offer any surrenders," Robert muttered. He recalled that malevolent being's voice in his head, its electronic voice sinister and laden with imagined superiority, like a dark god addressing mortals. The ramifications of what Vigil was explaining chilled him. It explained, fully, why the Darglan flagged the mass relays with a warning; they may have realized something of the nature of the Reapers' trap for the species of M4P2's Milky Way.  
  
It also meant that everyone he loved and cherished was at threat. The _Aurora_ and _Koenig_ were at the Citadel. If the Reapers came through…  
  
" _No surrender was ever offered. The Reapers had everything they needed from recovering our civilization's data on the Citadel. Colony locations, census records, the locations of our remaining fleet. They moved system by system, annihilating all resistance. Sometimes they outright scoured worlds of all sentient life. On other occasions they seized control, enslaving the local populations with the indoctrination process. These indoctrinated slaves were turned against our people, some as mindless husks used as soldiers, others as sleeper agents accepted as refugees by Protheans on other worlds. They in turn betrayed every plan made to survive the Reapers. Secret colonization efforts, emissions-shielded bunkers… everything was betrayed to the Reapers in the end. For centuries the Protheans fought and died until the extermination was complete. All that was left were the indoctrinated, mindless husks that the Reapers left to die of starvation or exposure when they went back through the Citadel into dark space._ "  
  
"So how was Ilos spared?" asked Liara.  
  
" _Ilos was a secret research facility. All evidence of our existence in the Citadel records were destroyed during the initial Reaper attack. To ensure we were not detected, the Protheans on Ilos went into cryo-stasis, to be awakened when the Reapers were gone._ "  
  
"But they weren't re-awakened," Shepard said. "They died."  
  
" _Yes. The Reapers required centuries to finish the methodical extermination of the space-faring species of our time. The power requirements to sustain the cryogenic process were greater than my power reserves allowed. Under contingency protocols, I began to shut down the pods of non-essential personnel."_  
  
"So you just killed them," Kaidan said accusingly. "Did you even tell them about this plan?"  
  
" _It was a necessity programmed into my functions. However, over time I was forced to deactivate almost every pod. In the end, only twelve of the senior scientists were still alive when the Reapers returned to dark space. They realized they alone could not restore our species, so they resolved to protect the next cycle._ "  
  
"How?" asked Shepard.  
  
" _By using the Conduit_. _It was the original purpose of the research facility. My people were on the verge of unlocking the secrets of the mass relays. It was at this height that the Reapers struck us._ "  
  
There was awe in Liara's voice when she asked, "Then the Conduit… it's a mass relay, isn't it?"  
  
" _Yes. An experimental mass relay of smaller size that links directly to the Citadel. After years of study, the scientists realized they could alter the keepers' control program to ignore the activation signal. The scientists went through the Conduit to the Citadel and performed the change._ "  
  
"Then why didn't the Asari find their remains?" Robert asked. "Even after forty-eight thousand years, something must have remained."  
  
" _The keepers most likely processed their remains after they died of starvation or other causes._ "  
  
Kaidan shook his head. "That's a gruesome end."  
  
"But it's given us a shot," Shepard said. "That's why Sovereign is using Saren. He needs someone who can infiltrate the Citadel and manually grant control to him."  
  
" _Yes. That is their most likely plan. You must stop them, or the cycle of extermination will continue._ " Vigil's garbled image seemed to fade a little. " _I have loaded a program left by my creators in this panel. It will temporarily lock out Citadel controls to all but you. Load it into the master control unit of the Citadel and you can prevent Sovereign from opening the Relay._ "  
  
"Master control unit?"  
  
"It's probably in the Citadel Tower," Liara said, in reply to Robert's question. "Saren undoubtedly knows. He would have to if he's going to give Sovereign control of the station."  
  
"Then we'll have to follow Saren. And he's got enough of a head start." Shepard activated her omnitool. "Let's get the data file and get going!"  
  
" _Saren has not yet reached the Conduit. You still have time._ "  
  
"You're fading," Liara said. "And there's so much you can tell us about the Protheans…"  
  
" _My data is limited to matters relating to stopping the Reapers. I am afraid I cannot provide further data_."  
  
The well of frustration in Liara was evident. Robert could feel her desire to know more about this species, the species that shaped her galaxy and which even after millennia of study was still such an enigma to the Asari and the other species of M4P2. He set a hand on her shoulder. "It's possible there's other data on them out there," he said. "But we don't have the time for this right now. Saren and Sovereign have to be stopped."  
  
"I know. Just…" Liara shook her head. "I feel so close to learning more about them…"  
  
"I know."  
  
Shepard lowered her arm. She gave Liara a sympathetic look, but there was steel in her green eyes as she glanced to the others. "I've got the file," she said. "Let's go."  
  
" _I wish you well, Commander Shepard_ ," Vigil said. " _Fulfill the hope that drove the last of my creators to die alone on the Citadel. Stop the Reapers._ "  
  
"That's the plan," Shepard called back to the fading apparition. The others fell in with her and returned to the lift.  
  
  
  
  
There were many different talents that a being with access to the Flow of Life could attain. Meridina had many of them, but she would be the first to admit that what the Humans called precognition - the ability to sense the likely future - was not one she normally used. Not beyond the small scale timeframe useful in fights.  
  
And yet… yet she felt it. Saw it. Saw the slaughter. The piles of dead in the Citadel Presidium. The burning worlds. The cries of the dying as, planet by planet, sapient life was exterminated. Just as the memories of the long-dead Gylao of the Adranians showed. Just as the beacons left by the Protheans.  
  
When Meridina woke from the nightmarish imagery, she wiped the sweat from her forehead. And she felt it. A twisting cold in the Flow of Life. As if it were feeling darkness, reacting to it much as a living being would. A general sense of raw fear filled her. Fear that was not her own.  
  
On the nightstand by her bed, the frame of her omnitool activated. A blue light shined over where her hand would go. Meridina tapped it. "Meridina here."  
  
" _Meridina… do you feel it?_ " Lucy's voice was hoarse.  
  
"Fear," Meridina said. "Raw fear rippling from the Flow of Life itself. A strand of cold…"  
  
" _Just like what Robert said._ "  
  
"I know." Robert's description of the persistent strand of cold he felt in the Flow of Life matched what she just felt. "If it is becoming more prominent…"  
  
" _Something's wrong. Something's_ very _wrong._ "  
  
"Agreed. See to your student, Lucy, for I fear she may not be taking this well. I will warn Julia." Meridina slid out of her bed. Still in her sleeping clothes, a sleeveless sleeping vest and shorts, Meridina triggered the comm link. "Meridina to Andreys. Captain, please respond."  
  
Several seconds passed before a groggy reply came. " _Yes?_ "  
  
"Captain, something is wrong. There is a threat. Lucy and I feel it."  
  
" _Here?_ "  
  
"It may be coming here, yes," Meridina said. "What I do know is that it is a significant threat to our lives. To the lives of many. The Flow of Life… it chills, as if in anticipation of mass slaughter."  
  
" _Alright. Call Code Red. Assemble the senior officers and get them to their stations. I'll contact Captain King and Matriarch Lidanya_."  
  
"Right away." Meridina waited for the connection to close and went to work.  
  
Moments later, the _Aurora_ 's klaxons blared their angry electronic tones, calling the crew to battle stations.  
  
  
  
  
Julia removed her nightgown and started putting her uniform on immediately. As she was pulling the burgundy red sleeved undershirt of her standard uniform over her head, the comm system activated and displayed the faces of King and Lidanya, aboard their respective ships. Julia noted King was also in her quarters and wearing her uniform jacket open at the moment. " _Captain Andreys, you said this was urgent?_ " King asked. " _I can't help but notice you've already put your ship on combat alert._ "  
  
"Yes. I believe there is an imminent threat to the Citadel. We should put the fleet on combat standby."  
  
" _Why do you feel this way?_ " Lidanya asked. " _Have you received some actionable intelligence from Captain Dale or Commander Shepard?_ "  
  
"My First Officer, Meridina… she can sense threats as a former member of the Order of Swenya. She's convinced me the threat is genuine and we must act on it."  
  
" _I see_." King sighed. " _Although I have my concerns about these things, I won't deny the efficacy of the Commander's metaphysical abilities._ " King tapped something off-screen. " _Put the ship on Condition 2, now. All hands to battlestations. Alert the rest of the squadron to prepare for combat._ "  
  
Lidanya seemed less convinced. " _I have heard much of these abilities, it is true… but to put my ship, the entire fleet, on combat alert without solid intel…_ " She shook her head. " _You ask for much, Captain Andreys._ "  
  
"If I'm wrong, I look like a doofus," Julia said. "But I'd rather be a doofus than get people killed because we're not ready. Please, Matriarch. I trust Meridina's instincts on this."  
  
For several crucial seconds Lidanya seemed to waver, although Julia could not tell i which direction. Finally the Asari sighed. " _Very well. My pride and reputation be damned, I'll concur. We're going on combat alert. I will inform C-Sec to prepare for an attack immediately._ "  
  
"I'll send them some help, in case the Geth get aboard. Andreys out." Julia tapped a key to end the call. And then another key. "Major Anders, Commander Richmond, I want all security and Marine teams armed up. We're sending a contingent to the Citadel under Major Anders."  
  
" _I hear you, Captain_ ," responded Anders.  
  
" _Understood_ ," Richmond added.  
  
Next was the trump card for this force. "Andreys to Lucero, get geared up, we need you on the Citadel." As she spoke, Julia was already preparing her next call.  
  
  
  
  
The Mako's long trip through the tunnel ended with sunlight again above their heads. Shepard kept the Mako at speed for the long drop ahead, resulting in a bone-jarring landing in the aqueduct below. Robert felt Kaidan's pain as his face went white. "Sorry, Kaidan," he heard Shepard apologize. "But we're in a hurry."  
  
"It's fine, Commander," Kaidan replied. "I can live with the pain."  
  
"Commander, twelve o'clock," Ashley warned. "We've got company!"  
  
Robert turned his head, as did the others, to see how the front display. A line of Geth platforms were formed with rocket launchers. A four-legged heavier platform, an Armature, was in the middle of the rocket troopers, preparing a plasma blast. Ashley fired the main gun of the Mako and landed a direct hit, disrupting the Geth's shot and sending it over the Mako instead of into it. Shepard swerved the Mako to evade an incoming rocket and swerved it in the other direction to evade a second. A third couldn't be evaded, exploding against the protective particle barrier and partially degrading them.  
  
"Ash, take out what you can, but we're not stopping to fight," Shepard said. She opened up the throttle on the Mako and it roared ahead. With terrifying precision she turned the corner of the aqueduct as the Geth fired another volley of rockets. The Mako nearly seemed to tip over, but Shepard kept it from doing so, an expert feat of handling that saw them through the Geth ambush.  
  
"I doubt that's the last of them," said Liara.  
  
"Let them come, because we're not stopping," Shepard said as she raced the Mako on down the aqueduct.  
  
  
  
  
Zack was nodding off to a particularly boring baseball game - the E5B1 New York Yankees were up 12 runs to 4 against the C5O2 St. Louis Cardinals in an interuniversal exhibition game - when the blue light appeared over the back of his left hand, accompanied by a chime to alert him to its presence. His eyes snapped awake and he tapped it. "Carrey here."  
  
Julia's voice came through immediately. " _Zack_. _I'm calling to warn you, there might be an attack soon._ "  
  
"Oh?" he asked, concern in his voice. Concern for her, mostly. "What's going on?"  
  
" _Meridina and Lucy are both sensing danger. Whatever it is, I can hear the fear in their voices. I think Sovereign actually is going to attack the Citadel. But I'm not sure Lidanya believes it enough to get C-Sec mobilized if Executor Pallis doesn't accept the reasoning. That's why I'm calling you._ " As she spoke, Zack didn't think of mentioning the fear he was hearing in _her_ voice. A fear he was feeling as well; if this attack was coming, did this mean Shepard had failed? That Saren had "the Conduit" or whatever it was?  
  
Did it mean Robert was dead?  
  
Either way, Zack stood up. "I'll go alert C-Sec," he said. "I've got my own connections, even if Executor Pallis isn't accepting Meridina's warning, I can get the word out to be ready."  
  
" _I'm sending security and Marines over, under Major Anders. Lucy and her student will be with them._ "  
  
"Student?" asked Zack.  
  
" _Ensign Talara_ ," Julia clarified.  
  
Zack remembered the Falaen junior officer. He knew who to be on the lookout for. "I'm heading to C-Sec now. I might not be able to get them fully mobilized if Pallis says no, but I'll do what I can."  
  
" _Good luck. Andreys out._ "  
  
Zack rushed to his bedroom. He had only one field uniform issued at the moment, so he pulled it on, hoping the protection from the built-in personal deflector and the protective material would be enough against Geth gunfire. He left the room and ran toward the lift. Thankfully it didn't cost him much time before the lift car arrived.  
  
When he stepped out into the lobby, T'Mara was still at the receptionist desk. He turned toward her immediately. The welcoming smile on her face vanished as she recognized how serious he looked. "Commander?"  
  
"T'Mara, get the word out. Something may be happening. Everyone should get to shelter as soon as they can."  
  
"But… C-Sec hasn't issued any alerts…"  
  
"Not yet, but… please. Take precautions, there are families here," Zack pleaded.  
  
He could see her resistance fade as she took in how serious he looked and how convinced he was. "I… I'll call a shelter drill. We're supposed to be holding those anyway…"  
  
"Good. Thank you. And _stay safe_." With that Zack turned away from T'Mara. He overheard her calling the drill as he went out the door. He was already activating his omnitool. "Bailey, you there?"  
  
" _Yeah_."  
  
"Is C-Sec mobilizing yet?"  
  
" _No_." Confusion came over the line. " _Why would we be? Have you heard something?_ "  
  
"Yeah, but the source might not be enough for Pallis," Zack replied. "But it's one I damn well trust, so I'm urging you, get whoever you can together. I'm on my way to HQ now. If something happens, we'll need all the help we can get."  
  
" _I hear you. I know some good people. We'll arm up quietly until the Executor gives the order. Stay in touch_."  
  
"I mean to," Zack promised, running for the main lift to carry him into C-Sec HQ.  
  
  
  
  
The Mako continued its race through the Prothean aqueduct on Ilos, water shooting up from around its tires as it roared along. Geth platforms appeared again along the side and poured rocket and gunfire down. Ashley tracked the turret to one side and fired a shot from the main cannon that blew three of them apart. The coaxial machine gun mowed down another.  
  
Tali was busy checking the Mako's systems. "The barriers are still holding, but they won't take much more of this!"  
  
They made another curve. A four-legged Geth platform fired a bolt of plasma at them that Shepard had no time to evade. The energy washed over the faltering barriers. Ashley returned fire with the main gun. The shot blew the leg off of the Geth machine, tilting it down and to the side. Behind them more rockets fired their way. Shepard zigged and zagged as much as she could to evade them without losing the forward speed to catch up to Saren.  
  
"I've got a Turian life signature ahead on the scanners," Tali said.  
  
"Saren." Shepard gunned the accelerator and stopped her maneuvering. The Geth rocket platforms behind raced after them. Ashley fired a shot into their midst that sent them flying.  
  
Tali continued examining the sensor returns with her omnitool. "I'm picking up a power spike," she said. "It looks like… it looks like a mass relay."  
  
"The Conduit," Shepard said, frowning. Ahead of them, at the bottom of a long decline in the aqueduct, a small mass relay was pointing toward the sky. A tap of a button on her steering wheel zoomed the image in, revealing the form of Saren and multiple Geth. The Geth were already walking into the relay. Blue light surged around them and they shot up into the sky. As they walked, Saren stopped and looked back. It was clear he saw the Mako.  
  
He immediately turned back and stepped in, letting the Conduit's energies shoot him across the galaxy, while around the Conduit a half dozen of the four-legged Geth moved into position to block access.  
  
  
  
  
Julia arrived on the _Aurora_ bridge to a command crew of bleary-eyed officers. For these situations the rules about drinks at work places were partially suspended; mugs of coffee were visible at a number of points. Meridina welcomed Julia with one. "I am aware you must be tired, Captain," said the Gersallian. "Please, we will need you alert for this."  
  
Julia took a drink from it and enjoyed the warmth of the brew more than the taste. It was one of the stronger, bitter brews she was aware of, so bitter she fought to keep a sour look off her face. "It's _raktajino_ , isn't it?"  
  
"Studies have shown it to be quite an effective means of waking up quickly."  
  
"Mostly because of the taste," Locarno grumbled. " _Raktajino_ was for late-semester cramming back at Starfleet Academy."  
  
"I dunno." Angel finished her cup. "I kind of like it."  
  
"You would," was Locarno's response.  
  
Julia took another drink and shook her head. _I'm going to have bitter-mouth for a week_ , she lamented to herself while walking to her command chair. "Status," she asked.  
  
"We're at full combat alert. All squadrons save Charlie have launched or are in the process of launching," Meridina reported. "Charlie's pilots were off standby rotation and will take another five minutes."  
  
"All systems ready for combat," Barnes confirmed from Engineering.  
  
Beside him, Cat nodded. "I'm scanning now. So far I'm… energy surge! There's an energy surge in the Relay! Something's coming through! A lot of somethings…"  
  
"On screen," Julia ordered. Jarod obliged by bringing up a view of the Widow Relay on the bridge holo-viewer. One by one the familiar, wingless insect form of Geth destroyers and cruisers zipped into appearance.  
  
And each was dwarfed by the massive form that appeared in their midst, red lightning crackling around something that looked like a great sea monster.  
  
"Sovereign," Julia said.  
  
"Geth vessels are approaching at combat velocity," Jarod warned. "And I'm… Cat, what do you make of this?"  
  
Caterina examined the readings. "They're… they're raising _deflector_ shields."  
  
Julia nodded grimly. The Geth would be far more difficult opponents than they were before, then.  
  
"The defense fleet is still going on alert," Meridina added. "Some ships were ready but others…"  
  
Julia shook her head. Lidanya might have heeded her, but it was clear not every captain regarded the warning. Now it might cost them and their crews dearly.  
  
"Tactical, lock weapons on target."  
  
"I'm getting relayed tactical orders from the _Excalibur_ ," Angel said. "They want to coordinate fire on Sovereign."  
  
Julia felt her mouth go dry as the sinister-looking machine ship loomed on the holo-viewer. "Do so," she said simply, while she worried about this meant. Sovereign and the Geth were launching a direct attack against the strongest point in the galaxy. Why would they do that unless they had a good reason to think they'd win?  
  
What did this mean for Robert and Shepard and the others? Had they been too late?  
  
_Robby, I hope you're still out there, because I have a bad feeling about this…_  
  
  
  
  
Shepard wasted no time. Even with the heavy Geth platforms closing in ahead, more than twice the number sufficient to overpower the Mako in a straight fight, she gunned the engine. The Mako shot forward and toward the Conduit.  
  
"The Conduit's energy signature is shifting, I think it's about to deactivate!" Tali cried out.  
  
"We've got one shot at this!" Shepard shouted. "Everyone _hold on!_ "


	4. Chapter 4

The Geth opened fire immediately and the Mako responded. Blue bursts of light filled the air around the Mako, which zigged and zagged slightly, weaving its way around the incoming fire on its way to the Conduit, even now starting to lose its bright sapphire glow. Some shots missed, going on to kick up mounds of dirt and material from the ground, or gouts of water and steam from the flowing water.  
  
And some shots hit. Blow by blow struck the Mako's particle field. Inside Tali cried out, "Particle barrier failing! We can't take another…!"  
  
As the Mako raced past the first two of the Geth, Ashley shot one in the head with the vehicle's main gun. This was the second direct hit Ashley landed on the platform, so the shot overpowered the particle barrier of the Geth platform and smashed the head into pieces. The platform flopped onto its belly, lifeless.  
  
On the other side, though, the second Geth fired. And at that range and at that angle, even the Mako's speed couldn't spare it from a direct hit. The blast broke through the particle barrier and scoured material from the Mako's exterior.  
  
"Particle barriers gone!"  
  
Shepard didn't react. She was too busy keeping control of the Mako as she weaved through more oncoming fire, her eyes firmly locked on the Conduit ahead.  
  
A Conduit that was on the verge of shutting down.  
  
  
  
  
The Geth opened fire first, directing their first volley of shots at the Council ships that had yet to adjust formation and alert status. As Julia feared would happen, those captains and their crews paid the price for their refusal to believe Meridina's warning. She watched as Geth missiles and plasma fire broke apart a Turian cruiser with several direct hits. A second cruiser of the same class died a moment later from more. An Asari ship was left a burning wreck.  
  
While the Turians took the brunt of the incoming fire, the Geth sent several volleys toward the _Destiny Ascension_. The massive Asari dreadnought could tank some fire, but the Geth weapons were more powerful than those the _Aurora_ had encountered over Adrana and Therum. After the first wave of the volley finished striking the Asari ship's deflectors, the ship reported shield degradation.  
  
" _The Council has been beamed aboard the_ Destiny Ascension," King informed them over the comm. " _All vessels, defense of the_ Ascension _is our top priority after the Citadel_." WIth that order King was already implementing her instruction with her own ship. The _Excalibur_ moved to cover the _Destiny Ascension_. King's tactical officer opened fire. Bolts and beams of sapphire energy lashed out at the incoming Geth. The Geth ships' shields held, mostly. Follow-up torpedoes from the _Excalibur_ and the _Barroso_ , one of the _Predator_ -class starships, finished off one of the Geth cruisers.  
  
More might have gone down, but Angel's opposite on the _Excalibur_ was joining her in focusing fire on the main threat. Sapphire bolts from pulse plasma cannons zipped between the gaps of the Geth ships to crash into Sovereign. A barrier field of some kind met those shots, with no resulting damage to the massive machine.  
  
"Status on Sovereign's shields?" Julia asked.  
  
"I've never seen a deflector pattern like this before," Cat said. "It's absorbing our fire with some effort, but it shrugs off most of the incoming fire from mass effect field weaponry. It's like Sovereign's defenses were made to nullify mass effect weapons."  
  
"Given what Robert and Shepard heard on Virmire, I'm not surprised," Jarod noted. "I'm still examining the shields for weak points…" The bridge rocked slightly as the first Geth missiles struck their shields. "Shields holding at ninety-five percent…" They rocked again. "...ninety-three percent now."  
  
"I've already got secondary shield generators to take up the slack," Barnes said. "Tertiaries will come online as needed."  
  
Julia nodded. As their ship rocked again, and even more hits struck the _Excalibur_ , she figured they'd need those tertiaries sooner or later.  
  
"What's the status of the Citadel?" she asked. "Is C-Sec ready for intruders?"  
  
With Jarod busy running his share of their battle operations, Meridina was the one to open the commlink. Julia noticed her expression shift ever so slightly to show concern. "I am seeing reports of weapons fire on the Presidium. Geth have been identified. But there is no consistent response to my inquiries. It appears the Citadel's communications are down."  
  
"Not just the Citadel," Jarod said. "I can't access the galactic communication network. We're being blocked."  
  
Julia nodded. Even the Alliance's IU network had to utilize the galaxy's network this far from the core of Alliance space in this galaxy and others. "Then the fleet at Arcturus won't be joining us. We have to do this ourselves."  
  
  
  
  
When the Geth came through the Conduit, they arrived in a Presidium that was still filled with civilians. They wasted no time in opening fire. As beings of all the species present started to fall, wounded or dead, the Geth fanned out. Some of them set up impaling spikes with their victims, the devices that would turn them into husks, while others secured the lifts to the Citadel Tower. Reinforcements from behind them moved in through the Conduit and spread down and across the Presidium. By the time Saren came through, there was nothing stopping him from entering the Tower. He stopped by the nearest Avina kiosk. Before the colorful Asari-modeled VI could speak to him, Saren used an omnitool to load code into the VI, and through it into the Citadel's systems. Lights across the Presidium started to go out.  
  
"I need time," he said to the nearest Geth, knowing all could hear him. "Distract C-Sec with attacks on the Presidium." The Geth gave a warble of obedience as they spread out to do just that.  
  
  
  
  
The unexpected arrival of Geth on the Presidium caught everyone in C-Sec by surprise. Communications started to go down a moment later.  
  
The _Aurora_ 's Marine and security forces were on their way to meet with one of Executor Pallis' lieutenants when the alert came over internal communications. C-Sec comms swiftly broke down. Major Anders was surprised to see the security force reduced to near-chaos by the result. He'd fought alongside Turian troops against the Reich and knew them to be quite capable of rolling with a situation.  
  
"This isn't the Turian military," Lucy said to him, sensing the thought. "C-Sec's different. I don't think they ever imagined something on this level happening."  
  
"Maybe not." Anders hailed down a passing Turian C-Sec officer. "I'm Major Anders, Alliance Marines. Where's the fire?"  
  
"Everywhere," said the C-Sec officer. "We're getting reports of explosions and Geth attacks in every Ward and the Presidium itself. And the extranet is down. Communications across the Citadel are also untrustworthy. Someone may have sabotaged our network."  
  
"So what are your plans for this?" asked Lucy. "Contingencies?"  
  
"That's the problem." Irritation showed in the Turian's eyes. "Executor Pallis is cut off, and we've lost contact with seventy percent of our precincts. At this point C-Sec can't launch a coordinated response."  
  
"Which is probably what Saren wants," Anders said. "So we need to figure out where he doesn't want C-Sec."  
  
Lucy considered the question. She felt a pull toward the direction of the Presidium. "Something on the Presidium, I'm sure of it." She prepared to run in that direction and just barely stopped herself. She glanced toward Anders. "I'm positive, but the call is yours."  
  
Anders nodded and she sensed a small bit of appreciation from him. "Lead on, Lieutenant."  
  
She did.  
  
  
  
  
The fire converging on the Mako was far more than its particle barrier systems could handle. Bolt after bolt of plasma struck the surface of the vehicle, blackening its white exterior as armor melted off and away under the onslaught. "We're taking too much fire!" Tali cried. "The barrier isn't regenerating. We've taken damage to the shocks on the rear right! The Mako won't take much more of this!"  
  
"It won't need to. _Here we go!_ "  
  
Shepard pushed the Mako throttle as much as she could. The vehicle rocked from the impacts that were wrecking it as it approached the fading Conduit.  
  
"Estimate Conduit closure in ten seconds!" Tali cried. "Nine… eight… seven…"  
  
A shot from one of the Geth struck the turret. It was not destroyed, but melted material stuck it into place, keeping Ashley from returning fire further.  
  
"...five… four… three..!"  
  
Robert held his breath as the Conduit loomed ever nearer. He tried to project his power into the Mako, willing it to move faster, to make it before the Conduit closed.  
  
"...two… one! The Conduit's energy field, it's…"  
  
As the Conduit began its shutdown sequence, the Mako made it to the energy field surrounding it. In a burst of blue light it shot up through the sky. Everyone aboard felt the familiar effect of a mass relay transit.  
  
After a few seconds it ended. Through the viewscreen at the front of the Mako the Presidium was barely visible, the main lights now inactive.  
  
But none of them had time to notice this fact, nor the presence of the Geth ahead. The Mako shot from the Conduit's relay to the Citadel at the same velocity it had when it entered. Shepard had a mere second to react and try to slow the vehicle down. It crashed through two Geth platforms, destroying both, as she slammed the brakes.  
  
The damage to the Mako and it systems made it impossible for the brakes to slow them as normal. The Mako flipped and turned until it came to a rest nearly upside down. The flip and the impact were the most intense yet and Robert was certain everyone would have bruises over it. He ignored the lingering pain and discomfort and released his seat harness. As he was on the side that was pointing upward he fell a little, but mostly slid until he was crouching on the ceiling of the cargo area.  
  
Nearby Shepard was already crawling out of the driver's side hatch. Garrus was the first to scramble up to the hatch on the other side. He opened it and jumped out. Tali and Robert joined him a moment later.  
  
Robert felt the danger an instant before the Geth fired. The rocket erupted from its launcher bound for Garrus. He acted instinctively, throwing the rocket off-course enough to hit the wrecked Mako instead. The blast from the rocket proved sufficient to throw all three to the ground. In a daze Robert lifted his head. His ears rang from the blast. Ahead a Geth was raising its weapon and pointing it toward him. His arm flopped as he struggled to get to his weapon, but the blast of the rocket was severe enough to leave him seriously rattled and, worse, very disoriented. He blinked to try and get the blur out of his vision.  
  
There was the sound of pulse fire and an electronic whine, followed by the clatter of a Geth hitting the ground. When Robert looked again, his imminent killer was sprawled out on the Presidium floor, and a figure dashed up to him. He looked up and blinked in surprise. "What?"  
  
"Hey Rob," said Zack, smiling as he extended his hand to his friend. "It's been a while."  
  
Despite the remnant pain in his head, Robert smiled back.  
  
  
  
  
The _Aurora_ maneuvered around a damaged Turian cruiser, absorbing missiles from a Geth ship meant for the Turians. Blue beams of plasma lashed out in reply from the ship's starboard emitters. The deflectors of the Geth cruiser held under the initial strikes. But the four starboard-facing beam cannons came to bear under Angel's direction. One by one four thicker beams of sapphire energy lashed out at the cruiser. Its deflectors failed on the second shot, allowing the two that followed to slice the Geth ship open. With its hull opened up and its deflectors down, it had no protection from the follow up shots. In the seconds before its motion would have brought it out of the _Aurora_ 's starboard arc, more sapphire beams cut the ship's internals apart. A hit on the helium-3 fuel tanks left a trail from the wounded ship. Beside the _Aurora_ , the wounded Turians put a spread of disruptor torpedoes into the dying Geth cruiser to finish it off.  
  
Julia didn't notice the success. She was busy observing the battle as a whole. The Geth were pressing hard on the _Destiny Ascension_ and thus on the _Excalibur_. The numbers and most of the ships being outfitted with deflector shields gave them the apparent edge.  
  
"Why isn't Sovereign joining the fight?" Julia asked aloud. The ship shuddered as it took fire from two more of the Geth cruisers. Angel immediately retaliated with a barrage of pulse plasma fire from the bow cannons that battered down the Geth ship's deflectors, allowing the bow-mounted beam weapons to carve the Geth ship up. The second cruiser took fire from the _Excalibur_ while turning its guns on the _Destiny Ascension_ again.  
  
"It apparently sees the Geth as nothing but cannon fodder," Meridina remarked. "Perhaps it is using them to weaken us."  
  
"Given how it was talking on Virmire, that doesn't make sense. It thinks it's superior…" Julia felt a small smile come on as she let her thoughts come to a conclusion. "...unless it's afraid of something."  
  
Meridina sensed the thought and nodded. "You believe Sovereign is afraid of us."  
  
"I do."  
  
A Geth missile slammed into the shields. "Shields down to seventy percent," Jarod said.  
  
"Mister Jarod, Commander Delgado, have you found anything about those shields the Reaper is using?"  
  
"They've got a lot of raw power behind them," Cat confirmed. "And they're really good at deflecting matter. This technology was clearly made to counter mass effect weaponry and any other form of weapons that use mass."  
  
"But what about _our_ weapons?"  
  
Cat thought that through. "It'll block torpedoes, yeah, and the nadion particles in phasers would have trouble with it, but the plasma from our main batteries shouldn't be affected. Our plasma fire and the _Excalibur_ 's were showing an effect earlier."  
  
Julia tapped a key on her chair to open the tac-comm link to the _Excalibur_. "Captain King, my science officer believes Sovereign may be vulnerable to our plasma weaponry."  
  
After a few moments King's voice responded, " _And mine concurs, Captain. Very well. I'll have our light ships continue to assist the_ Destiny Ascension _and the rest of the Citadel fleet. We will engage Sovereign directly. I'm relaying combat formation data to your helm now._ "  
  
"Formation data received," Locarno confirmed. "I'm taking us in."  
  
"I'm relaying targeting data to the _Excalibur_ ," Cat said. "If we concentrate our fire enough, I think we might be able to breach Sovereign's shields."  
  
After another hit Jarod reported, "Shields at sixty-six percent."  
  
"Engage the Geth as we go, but I want every weapon hitting Sovereign if it can."  
  
"Targeting information loaded," Angel said, nodding to her younger sister. "I'm linking with the _Excalibur_ for synchronized firing."  
  
"Then fire when ready."  
  
The two Alliance starships moved in tandem together, bringing their best weapons to bear as they flew in defiance of the gathering Geth ships toward their target.  
  
  
  
  
Shepard's team managed to extricate themselves from the stricken Mako under the cover of Zack and a number of C-Sec officers of various species. Bailey was kneeling beside Zack behind some cover; Robert and Shepard were nearby behind one of the tree stands. "It was the damndest thing," Bailey was saying, glancing toward the Conduit's exit: the supposed mass relay monument left by the Protheans. "I always thought it was just a model, not a portable relay!"  
  
"What's going on?" Shepard asked them.  
  
"Saren's hacked into station communications, C-Sec is offline, divided, and distracted," Zack replied. "Julia warned me something was up. Meridina and Lucy sensed trouble. So I was on my way to meet with Bailey when everything went nuts."  
  
"There's no way the Geth are already everywhere on the station," Ashley said. "Not this quickly."  
  
Garrus shook his head. "Not at all, but they don't have to be. Saren was a Spectre. He probably knew our command protocols. He's triggering false alarms."  
  
"Spectres aren't supposed to be briefed on those," Bailey said. "It's too vital for field operatives to know."  
  
"There's no telling how long Saren's been planning this," Shepard said. "He could have met Sovereign decades ago."  
  
"I wouldn't put it past him," Garrus grumbled.  
  
"We'll figure it out later," Shepard insisted. "Where is Saren now? Did he enter the Tower?"  
  
"Seems likely," Bailey said. Over his head gunfire from the Geth whizzed by.  
  
"The master control unit must be up there." Shepard readied her weapon. "We need to get there before Sovereign can open the relay to dark space."  
  
"Can open the what?"  
  
"The Citadel's a big mass relay," Robert explained quickly. "And on the other side is the dark space beyond the galaxy where a bunch of genocidal machines are waiting to slaughter us all." Robert pulled his weapon out. "So let's get going." He nodded to Shepard.  
  
Shepard nodded back once and jumped from cover. Biotic energy gathered around her and she shot forward. Her charge sent a pair of Geth platforms flying. Robert's power caught another and he threw it into the lake in the middle of the Presidium. The lightsaber in his hand came up and deflected an incoming shot, then another. Behind him Zack and Bailey were rising to open fire, shooting at some of the other Geth.  
  
Behind them, the rest of Shepard's team began advancing. Liara tossed a singularity and, after it snagged two Geth, Kaidan threw his own biotic bolt into the singularity to cause it to explode, smashing the two Geth into the wall. Wrex charged forward, wreathed in a biotic field, and slammed his head into a Geth's neck with enough force to slice through most of the wires holding the flashlight head to the torso. He fired a point blank shot into it and blew the torso apart. Ashley backed him up by riddling a larger Geth platform approaching him with rounds from her assault rifle. When it tried to fire, Tali used her omnitool to hack into the neural net and temporarily paralyze the big Geth. Wrex and Ashley shot it to pieces with their weapons. A Geth sniper targeting Shepard as she shot up another Geth platform had its head blown to pieces by Garrus' sniper rifle. Robert caught another one with his lightsaber, slicing it in half before bringing the weapon back up to deflect more incoming fire.  
  
They nearly made it to the tower when they came under fire from the direction of the Embassies. Multiple Geth platforms were approaching from that direction, including one of the smaller four-legged ones. It shot a bolt of plasma that impacted just short of the team, sending Garrus and Tali flying backward from the energies of the impact. Wrex and Liara moved to cover them while Ashley, Kaidan, and Shepard sought cover. Robert held his place and tried to draw fire, ensuring that Zack and Bailey could get their people back into cover as well.  
  
This, of course, made him a target, and the Geth were focusing fire on him. His arms were starting to feel rubbery as they moved with speed that was beyond normal, catching the incoming fire with the help of his life force powers. But he didn't know how long he could keep this up…  
  
...and then realized he wouldn't have to.  
  
A sudden explosion ripped through the ranks of the Geth. The steady sound of pulse fire came from beyond their position. In the moments afterward, as the four-legged Geth charged up for another shot, a figure leapt out from the path further down the Presidium and descended on the back of the Geth. Robert watched a flash of blue light fill the air and swipe through the neck of the Geth. The plasma discharged wildly around it, wrecking the Geth, while its destroyer leapt free to land near Robert.  
  
Lucy looked at him and smiled. "I thought I felt you were here," she said. "How?"  
  
"The Conduit is a portable mass relay linking Ilos to the Citadel," he replied. Behind Lucy he noticed the armored figures of Marines joined with more C-Sec officers coming up. Zack and Bailey led the other C-Sec officers in joining the fight, and with Shepard's team helping the Geth were being taken under fire from three sides.  
  
Lucy nodded. The smile faded. "Allowing Saren to slip into the Presidium with a bunch of Geth."  
  
"Yeah."  
  
"Sovereign's here," Lucy added. "You can feel it?"  
  
"I can." Robert stopped himself from shuddering at the malevolent energy of the Reaper. "It's like the Flow of Life is shivering in terror."  
  
"We felt it coming," Lucy said. "All of us." As she spoke Talara came up, in a field uniform carrying a pulse pistol. Robert sensed the queasiness in the Falaen woman and noticed her brown skin was now pale. "We have to stop this."  
  
"That's the plan." Shepard stepped up to join them. "We've got to get up the Tower."  
  
"There are more Geth in the Presidium, but I'm betting they'll come this way quickly if Saren calls." Anders was walking up to join them now. "We'll stay and hold the line."  
  
"And we'll join you, Commander," said Zack. "You're probably going to need the firepower. There's no telling how many Geth are up there with Saren."  
  
"I'm coming too," Lucy said. Talara nodded in agreement with her teacher.  
  
"We'll take one lift, you take the other," Shepard said. "Let's move!"  
  
With Shepard's team in the lead, they moved on to the lifts.  
  
  
  
  
The cloudy space around the Citadel lit up with weapons fire, like a distant thunderstorm veiled behind clouds. In the cockpit of his Mongoose tactical fighter, Lieutenant Commander Patrice Laurent tracked a Geth cruiser moving in to strike at a beleaguered Asari cruiser. His targeting systems locked onto the enemy ship. "Squadron reports target lock," said his sensor officer, Ensign Derek Patel.  
  
"Commence fire," Laurent ordered.  
  
Around him, the _Aurora_ 's Alpha Squadron opened fire. Their phaser cannons, even collectively, did little against the Geth deflector shields..  
  
Their solar torpedoes, however, were far more effective. The barrier of the Geth ship collapsed on the fourth impact, leaving several more torpedoes to blow the ship to pieces.  
  
" _Bravo Squadron here, we're under heavy fire at grid epsilon-29, Geth fighters are in number. Turian wing already eliminated_."  
  
Recognizing the Sirian accent of Lieutenant Gwen Skydancer, Bravo's commander these past few months after her time in Laurent's Command Flight, Laurent responded immediately. "Echo Squadron, reinforce Bravo. Delta, fall back to cover the _Aurora_."  
  
" _Roger that_."  
  
" _Acknowledged_."  
  
"Alpha Squadron, stay on my flight," Laurent continued. "The Asari are still pressed hard and need the support."  
  
"Roger," replied Lieutenant Huang, the commander of the squadron.  
  
  
  
  
Geth fire filled the space around the _Aurora_ and _Excalibur_ as the two ships continued to go for the colossal Reaper directing the fleet of synthetics. Sapphire bolts repeatedly struck at Sovereign as the range closed and the Reaper could not evade the ships sufficiently.  
  
On the _Aurora_ bridge Cat looked up from her station. "I think it's working," she said. "I'm reading disruptions in Sovereign's deflectors. They're starting to… wait, I'm getting a power surge…"  
  
"We're being targeted," Jarod warned.  
  
"Evasives!" Julia ordered.  
  
At Locarno's control, the _Aurora_ twisted and pulled away from the Reaper. As the maneuver completed, red light came from one of the machine's many arms. It briefly played over the _Aurora_ before a surge of energy lashed out. The _Aurora_ 's shields flickered violently in reaction.  
  
On the bridge the ship shook violently, almost as if they'd taken a direct hit.  
  
"I managed to avoid the worst of it," said Locarno.  
  
"Still, that hit took our shields down to thirty-eight percent," Jarod replied.  
  
"And strained the generators," Barnes said. "I'm diverting auxiliary power to shore them up."  
  
"Sensors confirm we were hit by a magnetohydrodynamic bolt, some kind of alloy," Cat said as the ship shuddered again. Some of the Geth were still engaged with them, trying to protect Sovereign. "Our deflectors absorbed it better than others would have. That shot would have broken through a particle barrier like it wasn't… we're being targeted again!"  
  
Julia didn't have to repeat the prior order. This shot from Sovereign was a near-miss, the very outer edge of the bolt of cee-fractional-accelerated matter skimming the _Aurora_ 's shields. "Shields are back to forty-eight percent and rising," Jarod said. As he spoke more weapons fire struck Sovereign and its powerful deflectors.  
  
"Do what you can, and maintain fire on that monster," Julia insisted. _And here's hoping we keep that thing from landing a direct hit._  
  
  
  
  
With the Geth off to cover all potential entrance ways, Saren walked by himself toward the Council's meeting place. With his omnitool ready he sent the codes Sovereign had left him. An automated system extended the walkway to the Petitioners' Stage. Hardlight controls flashed into existence.  
  
_You are almost done,_ Sovereign's voice said to him. _When the others arrive, you will be recognized for your role in this harvest._  
  
Saren heard the words and felt nothing but conviction for them. At least, mostly nothing. Even here, at the cusp of victory, he felt a small bit of doubt on the matter. Doubt that this was the right approach, that this would safeguard his survival and that of others. This small part screamed, "You are being betrayed! He is controlling you!"  
  
To his surprise, this was being said in the voice of Shepard.  
  
The doubt seeped away. Sovereign's conviction filled him. This was the way it had to be. The only way to survive.  
  
Saren bought his hands up and began seizing control of the Citadel.  
  
  
  
  
The first hint that something was going wrong was when the lifts stopped, almost side-by side. Robert glanced toward the other elevator, slightly lower than the one Shepard's team was on. Shepard was busy with the controls. "It's not accepting my codes. I'm being locked out. It must be Saren."  
  
"Then we're almost out of time. Let me…"  
  
"No, let me," said Tali. She went up to the controls. "I think I can use a manual override. Give me a minute."  
  
As she started working, Robert glanced over to see Lucy doing almost the same thing. _Trying to override it?  
  
Yeah_ was the answer. _Hold tight.  
  
It's just the fate of the galaxy and maybe the Multiverse, no pressure_ , he thought back.  
  
The response was a surge of irritation and a feel of _I'm not talking anymore_.  
  
  
  
  
Geth fire that might have finished off one of the lighter Salarian ships splashed with little effect against the shields of the _Koenig_. On her bridge Will Atreiad kept his eyes on the tactical holo. Apley maneuvered the _Koenig_ to direct its firepower at one of the lighter Geth attackers. Sherlily's barrage with the main phaser cannons blasted away its deflectors and the rear half of the ship.  
  
The ship shook with a solid impact. "Geth cruiser, bearing 102 mark 088," Magda reported. "They've got a lock." Again they were rattled in their seats. "Shields holding at seventy percent."  
  
"Ap, Attack Plan Epsilon," Will ordered.  
  
The _Koenig_ made a wide, twisting turn, taking another shot as they did. This put them directly on course for the Geth cruiser. It was already taking fire from the Salarian ships nearby. The enhanced shields of the Geth ships absorbed the shots with little difficulty. Sherlily added the _Koenig_ 's phaser cannons to the attack. "Enemy shields holding but degrading," she reported. "I have torpedo lock."  
  
"Full spread, April."  
  
Blue-white sparks - the sparks being the propulsion fields around the flat cylindrical torpedoes themselves - erupted in pairs from the _Koenig_ 's forward launchers. They exploded against the Geth cruiser's shields. "I'm detecting shield loss now."  
  
"Bring us in for another attack run," Will insisted, knowing the _Koenig_ had to keep the heat off the Salarians until they could rally.  
  
"Doing so now, sir," Apley confirmed.  
  
The _Koenig_ began a tight maneuver, flipping and twisting as it turned relative to its prior position, all to throw off the aim of the Geth targeting systems. Some fire still struck the _Koenig_ enough to shake the bridge. "Shields down to sixty-six percent," Magda reported.  
  
"Firing," Sherlily added.  
  
The barrage of phaser fire and torpedo didn't destroy the Geth ship, but it did leave the shields degraded enough for the main guns on the two biggest Salarian cruisers to strike bare hull. Gouts of debris erupted from the impact points. "Enemy ship is badly damaged." Magda checked over her sensors. "The Salarians are moving to finish her off."  
  
"Then find us another target, Ap," said Will.  
  
"Yes sir," was the reply.  
  
  
  
  
Another shot from Sovereign slammed into the shields of the _Aurora_. "Shields down to twenty percent," Jarod warned. "Hull damage on several decks."  
  
"We've got two primary generators offline, tertiaries are now fully engaged," Barnes added. "That thing packs a wallop."  
  
Even as they spoke Julia watched Sovereign fire again, this time at the _Excalibur_. King's ship had a skilled pilot as well, but given its size it had the same issue as the _Aurora_ ; not being nearly nimble enough to completely evade fire. The shot caught the _Excalibur_ amidships. Its shields flared brilliantly. "The _Excalibur_ is reporting hull damage and near shield loss," Meridina noted.  
  
"What's the status on that monster?"  
  
"Sovereign's deflectors, whatever they are, it looks like they're degrading. I can't be sure how badly, I've never seen… power spike! Sovereign's engines are…!"  
  
The monster seemed to shoot forward, as if all of its maneuvers up to now had been half-hearted. "It's putting all of its energy into engines and deflectors," Cat said. "And it's on course for the Citadel."  
  
Meridina was already pale. "We must stop it. We must stop it _now_."  
  
"Intercept course! Everything to engines, get us between Sovereign and the Citadel!"  
  
At that command, Locarno sent the Aurora racing off after the monster. The _Excalibur_ joined the pursuit, both ships continuing to fire on Sovereign as they strained to catch up.  
  
  
  
  
On the Citadel Tower, Tali continued to fuss with her omnitool. "I think I almost have it… there!"  
  
With a final key press, the lift carrying Shepard's team went into motion. Several moments later Robert felt the surge of triumph from Lucy. The lift she was taking with Zack, Talara, and C-Sec resumed moving as well.  
  
Even with the tension of the moment, Robert found he was looking at the sight of the Citadel. From this position he could see one of the wards. It was an amazing view. As he contemplated it he felt the life around him. The Flow of Life pulsed with the Citadel's many millions of beings. He could feel their fear, their worry, and most importantly, their _hope_. The hope that everything would be fine…  
  
And then it was gone. Robert felt like he was falling, falling into the cold, into darkness. His mind filled with visions of death and destruction. Cities, planets, burned. Familiar worlds. The Earths of the Alliance, the crystal spires of Minbar, Bajor's temples, the elegant skyscrapers of the Davion capital of Avalon City… he watched Reapers wipe it all out. He watched the annihilation of beautiful Gy'toran wind-sailers and Gl'mulli sphere craft. Despairing people were being herded by their own kind like livestock to a slaughter.  
  
A wail filled his being. The sense that it was happening… happening _again_. Death and despair and loss and…  
  
...and he screamed. He cried. Tears and blubbering sobs as the sheer _weight_ came down on his soul. The weight of the Flow of Life, traumatized and brutalized by the Reapers, fearing the dread cycle of slaughter that it had endured for untold eons coming around again. As if all of the beings killed by the Reapers were here with him, the emotions of their final moments overwhelming…  
  
" _ROBERT!_ "  
  
The harsh tone had a warmth behind it that cut through the cold despair overwhelming him. Like a drowning man reaching for a lifeline, Robert seized on the warmth. The confidence and strength behind it invigorated him and helped pull him out of the loop of terror and despair that permeated the Flow of Life. He became aware of his surroundings again. The lift, the others of the team… _Shepard_.  
  
She has his shoulders gripped with her hands. He could see himself through her. His skin was drawn and pale, his eyes wide, as if he'd seen a ghost (to borrow the age-old description). Tear-lines streaked his cheeks. "Don't fall apart on me," she urged. "We're in this together."  
  
"I… I know." He took a ragged breath. "I just felt… I could feel what happened before. All of the past times the Reapers came through the relay, all of the _death_ …" He swallowed. "We're running out of time."  
  
He felt sympathy from her. Shepard seemed to understand something of what he'd gone through just now, but he felt no change in her confidence or determination. Whatever the odds, Shepard was _certain_ they were going to prevail. A certainty that defied the galaxy, that defied the Reapers, the kind that Robert was supposed to feel but found difficult with the way the Flow of Life trembled in anticipation of the Reaper cycle.  
  
"Whatever's going on with this metaphysical stuff, focus," Shepard instructed him. "We're almost there, and we'll need you."  
  
"Right." Robert felt the despair in the Flow of Life pull at him again. He focused on Shepard, on the others, and pushed it away.  
  
"We're here," said Tali.  
  
The lift doors opened, leading to the reception area and the security checkpoints for the Council Chambers. Several dead bodies of associated species were gathered around and a number of armed Geth were waiting at the checkpoint. Robert moved ahead of the others and ignited his lightsaber, ready to use it in defense. He reached out with his power and tossed one of the Geth platforms violently into the wall.  
  
Shepard, as always, went for the shock tactics. She shot forward wreathed in biotic energy. The impact sent a Geth flying backward to slam into another. Her shotgun barked. The solid shot smashed another Geth's torso in.  
  
The rest of the team came out, firing and attacking as well. Liara and Kaidan employed a biotic combo again, Liara's singularity grabbing two of the Geth and Kaidan's follow-up pulse violently tossing them. From the other lift Lucy raced out, lightsaber at the ready, and immediately sliced a Geth in half before it could open fire on Ashley. Behind her Zack and Bailey led Bailey's friends in C-Sec out, guns blazing. Talara brought up her hand and two Geth platforms slammed into each other.  
  
The Geth platforms reacted by falling back. "There are more beyond," Robert noted.  
  
"Not just that." Tali checked her omnitool. "I'm picking up Geth dropships approaching the Presidium and the Tower."  
  
"Saren's called for reinforcements, then," Garrus said.  
  
"How could they get into the tower from outside?" Ashley asked.  
  
"There's a maintenance hatch nearby," Garrus replied. "Saren probably unlocked it for them. He won't be able to disable the shielding to stop remote transporting, so they have to come in that way."  
  
Robert and Lucy exchanged glances. Each had a feeling on the future of this situation. Lucy said, "Then I'll block it off, with some help."  
  
Zack nodded. "We can do it."  
  
"And we'll deal with Saren." Shepard hefted her shotgun. "Let's go!"  
  
  
  
  
The _Aurora_ and _Excalibur_ chased Sovereign through the Geth and Citadel fleets. The Geth had the numbers, but the Citadel ships were fighting with desperate courage with the aid of the Darglan tech-equipped Alliance starships in _Excalibur_ 's squadron. One of the Salarian ships intercepted a Geth cruiser bearing down on the _Excalibur_. With their weapons crippled, the Salarians' only option was to slam into the Geth ship. Their vessel survived the impact, and more importantly they drove the Geth vessel away, allowing an Asari ship to finish it off. The resulting explosion crippled the Salarians.  
  
Again and again plasma fire raked over Sovereign's powerful shields. Torpedoes detonated with no damage to the monstrous machine's reddish skin. While there was no visible demonstration of success, the sensors on both ships showed the field was weakening.  
  
The problem was that it wouldn't finish weakening before Sovereign entered the Citadel. With Meridina's pale look being all the reason Julia needed to want that prevented, she kept the _Aurora_ on a course to cut the giant cephalopod off.  
  
"Approximately one minute until Sovereign is within the arms," Jarod warned.  
  
"Status on its shields?"  
  
Cat answered Julia immediately. "Sovereign's deflectors are starting to fail, but I'm not sure we'll get them down in time. We need to hold it back!"  
  
"Mister Jarod, tractor beam?"  
  
"A good idea. We'll try that. Mister Barnes, I need every joule you can give me to the tractor emitters."  
  
"Giving you what I can spare," Barnes replied.  
  
On the holo-viewer the Citadel loomed ahead. A Turian heavy cruiser and a dreadnought were already moving to cut off Sovereign. Their weapons were virtually useless against the machine, but if the Reaper's shields could be taken down they could help finish it off.  
  
"Thirty seconds!" Jarod called out. A moment later he added, "Activating tractor beam… now!"  
  
As the _Aurora_ pulled alongside the giant Reaper, two ribbons of strong blue light reached out and gripped the machine. Another pair of tractor beams snatched the Reaper ship, these from the _Excalibur_.  
  
" _Engineerin' t' Bridge_." Scotty's voice came over the _Aurora_ 's internal comms. " _Tractor systems are already in th' yellow. I cannae give ye but a few more minutes o' this_."  
  
"Understood, Mister Scott. Hopefully we won't need more time."  
  
"The _Teyama_ and the _Tagbanua_ are moving into position to assist," Meridina said. Julia felt she still looked incredibly pale. On the screen two of the _Predator_ -class starships moved in and triggered their own tractor beams."  
  
"We've slowed Sovereign down by eighty percent," Cat noted. "Its trying to put more power into engines."  
  
While the report was made, one of the big Turian ships activated a tractor beam as well - the technology had been widely shared with the Citadel Council species - followed by an Asari ship. The focused fire on Sovereign was converging. "Sovereign's shields are failing!" Cat called out. "We've almost done it!"  
  
"Maintain fire!" she ordered. "Locarno, put us between that thing and the Citadel!"  
  
"Maneuvering now."  
  
It looked like they had the upper hand, but Julia didn't dare let herself feel relief. This thing was so powerful, so ancient… what else might it be capable of doing that they had no idea about?  
  
  
  
  
  
Flickering flame was already devouring the trees in the approach to the Council Chambers' foyer. Shepard and her team entered the foyer at a run, Shepard, Liara, and Robert in the lead. The bodies of Citadel personnel unable to flee were scattered. Their deaths were sudden and violent and Robert could sense the remnant terror they'd felt at the end. He forced it away so it wouldn't distract him again.  
  
The Geth were behind prepared positions when they opened fire. The reason for the team's formation on approach became clear as Liara and Shepard generated a biotic field to either side of Robert. His lightsaber flashed to life and deflected the shots from the Geth coming at him. The response was instinctive, automatic, for Robert; his arms seemed to know where the blade needed to be at any specific moment. One deflected shot, done with a bit of a flair with his weapon, sent a plasma bolt straight into the flashlight head of a Geth platform.  
  
Behind them the other members of the team opened up with rifles. Garrus' accuracy led him to a shot that repeated Robert's feat, after which he tracked his sniper rifle over to find another foe. Ashley and Kaidan were quite effective with their weapons, Wrex moreso. Tali, always one to prefer a shotgun, was not so accurate, but she was busy using her omnitool's advanced functions to interfere with the Geths' systems remotely.  
  
Once the volume of fire declined a little, Robert mentally signaled the others. Shepard went into action with a biotic charge that carried her up to the Geths' chosen point of cover, a plant display. Her shotgun roared and the solid slug crushed the chest of a Geth platform. A bigger one brought its weapon over and took a biotic blast for its trouble, first from Liara and then from Shepard. The twin biotic attacks sent it flying into the far wall with another force to damage it.  
  
Robert remained on defense for the moment, until his instincts told him the moment had come to strike. If he was Lucy he might have plunged ahead to start dismembering Geth with his weapon, but he wasn't anywhere near the duelist and fighter she was with a lightsaber. When he attacked it was with his life force. With a thought and will behind it the universe responded to his need. One of the big Geth suddenly fell over, as if slammed by a great force. Wrex and Ashley shot it to pieces as it tried to stand.  
  
Shepard's shotgun boomed again. The big Geth against the wall sparked from the wound to its abdomen from the powerful, vicious slug fired by Shepard's firearm. It tried to bring its weapon to bear again, but Shepard shot it in the neck before it could. The flashlight head went out and the Geth platform, now blinded, fired blindly. Shepard easily evaded the shot. Biotic energy wreathed her right hand as it formed into a fist and slammed into the abdomen wound of the giant Geth. It sparked again and fell, defeated.  
  
Wrex plowed into a Geth beside her, destroying it with a follow-up head butt that smashed the Geth's flashlight head. Tali's shotgun roared and the blast took out another of the attackers, freeing Robert from deflection duties again so he could take two more Geth and forcefully slam them together. He held the stunned platforms in place for the others to shoot.  
  
Once they were disposed of, everyone moved on. Looking about, Robert felt tremendous _deja vu_. He'd seen this before. This place, marred by destruction. One of his dreams, his insights into the future from his powers, was coming true.  
  
This perturbed him. The present problem aside, he'd had other visions, some not yet true… and which he never wanted to see happen.  
  
"We don't stop!" Shepard shouted. "Saren's just ahead!"  
  
To a person, Shepard's team reacted and charged forward. More Geth tried to intervene and were met by the skills of the _Normandy_ team. Shepard was relentless at this stage, plunging forward into the fighting, throwing biotic attacks. Robert felt she was tiring, but despite the very real physical fatigue she was suffering from Shepard would not stop.  
  
This relentless charge carried them to the Petitioner's Stage itself. Robert could see it was further extended than usual, with a large hard-light control interface. Saren was operating it as they approached.  
  
Just before Shepard or any of the others could fire, Saren turned and threw something. Robert sensed the danger, crying out "Grenade!" and lashed out with his power. It was an ill-controlled use, and he felt the energy within him threaten to surge out of control as it had on Virmire and other occasions. But with focus he kept it from doing so, throwing the explosive right back at Saren. Saren, in turn, formed a biotic barrier around himself that absorbed the blast when it came. He jumped down toward the glass floor beneath the stage. When he came back up, standing on his mobile platform, he was carrying what looked to be a portable Geth mini-gun. The team all jumped for cover as he opened fire. The ammunition created electrical arcs as it slammed into the matter around them, flash-converting the air into brief bursts of plasma.  
  
"Shepard. I was afraid you wouldn't make it in time," Saren said.  
  
"Yeah, well, there were a few hundred Geth in my way," Shepard responded.  
  
"And all for nothing," said Saren. "In a few minutes Sovereign will have control of the Citadel. The relay will open and the Reapers will return. And there's not a single thing any of us can do to stop it."  
  
  
  
  
Everyone on the _Aurora_ bridge braced themselves for the next shot from Sovereign. A bolt of molten metal slammed into the Darglan deflectors protecting the ship. "Shields down to fifteen percent!" Jarod shouted. "We won't take another hit like that!"  
  
"Tractors are heading to the red-line!" Barnes added.  
  
"Anything?!?" Julia demanded from Caterina.  
  
"Sovereign's shields are destabilizing, we've almost got him!" Cat shouted back.  
  
"Maintaining fire!" Angel declared with evident pleasure.  
  
As the ship was keeping the Reaper to starboard, all the better to keep the maximum tractor power on the Reaper, Angel couldn't target with the pulse plasma cannons, her heaviest weapons. Nevertheless the less-powerful plasma cannons and the other beam-firing Darglan plasma weapons continued to lash out at the creature. Sapphire beams played over the dark hull of the Reaper, each strike weakening its defenses. Mass effect-fired slugs and weapons fire from the other ships joined their shots, including thick bolts of pulse plasma cannon fire from the _Excalibur_. Unlike the _Aurora_ , the battlecruiser did have the heavier mounts on the side arcs and was giving Sovereign even more punishment than the _Aurora_ was managing.  
  
Sovereign's fire was infrequent - presumably most of its power was going to engines in trying to break free - but when it did fire, it fired for effect. After a glancing blow that degraded its weakening shields, the destroyer _Teyama_ now took a direct hit. The bolt smashed the light ship's remaining shields enough that it inflicted a heavy hit on the primary hull of the ship. The shot struck the tractor emitter of the destroyer directly, ending one of the blue ribbons keeping Sovereign from moving into the Citadel. " _Teyama_ reports heavy casualties and structural damage," Meridina informed Julia. "Their tractor systems are offline."  
  
"Tractors are now at 110%!" Barnes shouted, reflecting the loss of the _Teyama_ 's assistance. "We've got maybe a minute before the emitters burn out!"  
  
"Have the other emitters ready," Julia instructed.  
  
Sovereign's next shot hit a Turian ship. This one didn't have Darglan-made deflector systems, only a more common system. Its shields couldn't take the direct hit and the Turian ship took the worst of the shot, blowing through armor and taking out the tractor system. Another of Sovereign's legs pointed toward the _Excalibur_ and opened fire.  
  
The _Excalibur_ took the hit without losing shields. But its shields were still strained enough to leave it vulnerable to a quick follow-up attack. In this case, said follow-up was from a burning Geth cruiser. Defying the fire it was taking from the _Excalibur_ 's batteries and other Citadel ships, the insectoid form plunged straight for the _Excalibur_. Julia realized its intent right about the same time King and her helm officer did, as the _Excalibur_ shifted in position to avoid the ram.  
  
The Geth were not so easily thrown off, however. They tracked _Excalibur_ and accelerated for the kamikaze run against the ship's drive hull. The _Excalibur_ twisted, trying to avoid taking such a direct hit…  
  
One of the lighter Turian cruisers threw itself into the flight path first. The Geth cruiser collided with the Turian… and kept going, sending both ships into a now-unavoidable collision with the _Excalibur_. The best the battlecruiser's helm officer could do was ensure the strike was only a glancing one to the hull and wouldn't critically damage any systems. The operations officer of the ship attempted to assist, firing another tractor beam to deflect the incoming ram. Together they succeeded; the Turian and Geth ships ripped along the drive hull of the _Excalibur_ , but didn't strike the nacelles or take out any vital systems. The ship's armor held.  
  
But the impact still inflicted great strain on the _Excalibur_ 's shields, strain that Sovereign quickly took advantage. It fired on the _Excalibur_ again, this time with two legs. The twin bolts slammed into the battlecruiser's deflectors.  
  
This time, they failed.  
  
One bolt struck the lower port nacelle of the _Excalibur_ and blasted right through it before impacting on the armored hull. The strike tore the nacelle in half. Ignited plasma from the nacelle created secondary explosions that engulfed both halves while the shot gouged through the ship's armored hull, creating a large section of damaged, even eliminated, structure. Atmospheric gas and debris - including bodies-- erupted from the wound.  
  
The second shot hit further toward the bow, right around the halfway point of the ship's length. There was no nacelle to absorb the shot this time. The blast cored the _Excalibur_ in a fashion that would have outright crippled a smaller ship. The _Excalibur_ was not crippled, but the wound was severe, just as it would have been on the _Aurora_.  
  
The two blue ribbons connecting the _Excalibur_ to Sovereign died.  
  
"Tractor emitters overloading!" Barnes reported. "We're losing them…!"  
  
Even before the two ribbons from the _Aurora_ ceased, mostly freeing the big Reaper from its restraints, Sovereign was already moving again, on a course directly for the Citadel…  
  
...and right toward the _Aurora._  
  
"Sovereign's not evading!" Jarod shouted as the monster loomed ever larger on the viewscreen, red lightning crackling around its body. "It's on a collision course!"  
  
Julia wasn't able to keep the desperation out of her voice when she cried, "Evasive maneuvers!" Her eyes widened at the sight of the metal monstrosity rushing toward them on the viewer. Her finger hit the key on her chair for a shipwide address, so she could get an order she only ever heard herself give in nightmares.  
  
"All hands _, brace for impact!_ "


	5. Chapter 5

As the battle with the Geth fleet raged around the Citadel, the massive form of Sovereign continued its unyielding course toward the Citadel. On the _Aurora_ bridge Nicholas Locarno went into motion. Years of training went into his actions, including keeping a three-dimensional model of the nearby space in his head as he judged the velocity of the approaching Reaper and the relative positions of everything else. He had only seconds to react before Sovereign plowed into the _Aurora_.  
  
His hands flew with speed over his controls, sending commands through the ship's control systems for the engines. The engines and maneuvering thrusters fired under those commands, pushing the ship into a wild turn and twist in space that strained the inertial dampeners to the point that the entire crew were hit by G-forces beyond their usual experience.  
  
The maneuver kept Sovereign from plowing through them. The big Reaper moved across the _Aurora_ 's belly. On the lower decks the crew could hear the squeal of the ship's structure caused by the two scraping against each other. At points the hull was split open by the force involved with emergency forcefields popping into place to minimize exposure to the vacuum.  
  
The impact was felt throughout the ship. As soon as she was no longer being shaken in her safety harness, Julia called out, "Report!"  
  
"Partial impact damage on decks 34 and 35. Multiple minor hull breaches, forcefields in place," Jarod answered.  
  
"Good thinking, Mister Locarno." Having given Locarno the compliment for saving the ship, Julia was quick to add, "Pursuit course, _now_. Tactical, all weapons on Sovereign! We can't let him into the Citadel!"  
  
"Bringing us about!"  
  
"Can we tractor Sovereign again?"  
  
"Starboard tractors are out," Barnes said. "We completely burnt out the emitter systems. A team's getting the graviton generator repaired, give me thirty seconds and we can tractor Sovereign again."  
  
"Do so as quickly as you can." Julia gave the order while, on the holo-viewer, the sapphire bolts from the _Aurora_ 's ten bow-mount pulse plasma cannons battered away at what was left of Sovereign's shields.  
  
"Sovereign's shields are in collapse!" Cat cried out.  
  
Julia nodded. "We've almost got it! _Keep firing!_ "  
  
  
  
The orange and red glow from multiple fires played over the scene in the Council Chamber. Saren stood tall on his hovering platform, his weapon raised and biotics swirling around him. Whenever he spied someone moving a burst of fire from the Geth weapon blasted chunks from whatever cover they were using.  
  
"This is the end, Shepard," Saren said. "It's fitting that you're here. Sovereign has come to appreciate your skill. It understands you are a unique organic. If you agree to serve as I have, you will survive the coming cycle."  
  
"None of us will, Saren. Sovereign's deceiving you! The Reapers don't care for you and never will! You're just a tool!"  
  
"I made their victory possible!"  
  
"So?" Shepard laughed bitterly. "Do you expect gratitude from something like Sovereign? Why would it give you any? Once the Reapers are here you're not necessary anymore. You're just another organic to be culled."  
  
Saren sprayed Shepard's position with weapons fire. " _No!_ " he shouted in rage.  
  
Robert glanced Shepard's way. _You're on to something sensitive here_ , he thought, using his powers to let Shepard sense what he was thinking. _Saren knows. He just won't accept it._  
  
She nodded in reply to that and continued. "Sovereign's always been using you, Saren. You're an indoctrinated tool, nothing more."  
  
"Without me Sovereign would never have come this close! Without me…"  
  
"I'm going to stop Sovereign, Saren, with or without you," Shepard swore.  
  
To that Saren chuckled. "You will find I am a stronger opponent than I was on Virmire, Shepard. I have been enhanced to better serve."  
  
Shepard's horror matched Robert's own. "Are you saying you let that thing _implant_ you?!"  
  
"As I explained before, Shepard, our only hope to survive is to serve. Through my service the Reapers will understand our use. Although some will die, our species will survive under their authority."  
  
"This is insane, Saren!" Shepard shouted. "That thing is indoctrinating you! When it's over, you'll be nothing but a mindless husk withering away! That's all the Reapers think you're good for!"  
  
"Shepard, cease this pointless resistance. Sovereign is almost here. When it arrives, the relay will open. The Reapers will come through. And nothing you do can stop it."  
  
  
  
  
The _Aurora_ shuddered under the fury of several Geth ships, the Geth's desperation to protect Sovereign just as evident as the desperation Julia felt that they stop the Reaper before it could enter the Citadel's arms. "Shields are at ten percent and losing cohesion," Jarod warned.  
  
"The other vessels are trying to help, but the Geth are overwhelming them," Meridina said.  
  
Julia nodded. Her eyes were intent on the holo-viewer, which displayed Angel's efforts to batter Sovereign to death with the _Aurora_ 's weapons. Where once the monster's shielding blocked even their heaviest shots, now the plasma beams and cannon bursts were blowing chunks out of the creature's hull. A thin phaser beam lashed out repeatedly, courtesy of the _Barroso_ , one of the _Predator_ -class starships still in the fight. The smaller ship darted ahead and peppered the colossal Sovereign with phaser and torpedo fire.  
  
"Sovereign will be in the arms within thirty seconds!"  
  
"I need tractor beams _now_ Mister Barnes!" Julia yelled.  
  
"They're bringing the graviton generators back up now! Try it!"  
  
"Twenty-five seconds…" Even as Jarod gave the warning he initialized the tractor emitters facing toward the bow. Again two ribbons of blue light connected the _Aurora_ to Sovereign. There was a shudder through the ship as the _Aurora_ attempted to hold Sovereign in place.  
  
"The system's already at 100% capacity and going up!" warned Barnes. "We won't be able to sustain this!"  
  
Julia watched another tractor beam lash out and seize the Reaper: the _Barroso_ was following their lead. The destroyer wouldn't accomplish much, of course, but every little bit of help counted. "Reverse engines, full power!"  
  
The _Aurora_ 's impulsor drives changed operation. Their forward velocity stopped, as did Sovereign's.  
  
"Tractor capacity at 110% again!" Barnes warned.  
  
"Everything on Sovereign now!" Julia thumbed the tactical comm open. " _All ships fire on Sovereign!_ "  
  
  
  
  
The maintenance hatch for the Citadel tower opened and Geth platforms poured through.  
  
"Open fire!" Bailey ordered, and Zack and Talara joined him in the first shot. The C-Sec officers with them opened up as well. Rifle and pistol fire struck the lead Geth, damaging it irrevocably. The Geth behind it returned fire on them, forcing them back into cover. A scream briefly drew Zack's attention to an Asari now clutching a wounded arm.  
  
The Geth charged in, as if to overrun them with firepower and numbers, and soon found they had another worry. Lucy raced into melee range with the aid of her abilities. A flash of sapphire light bisected one of the Geth platforms, splitting it into two. As it fell Lucy moved on to the next Geth, slicing its legs and head off in successive strikes. A third was literally disarmed with an upward strike. She turned and directed a wave of force toward the maintenance hatch, a wave that toppled several Geth. The others took the chance to come out of cover and resume firing. Their shots finished off some of the Geth while Lucy busied herself with defensive deflections and counter-attacks with her powers. Talara aided as best as her training allowed her, combining shots from her pulse pistol with brief attacks with her abilities that threw the Geth off-balance.  
  
"I bet there's more trying to get in," Zack observed.  
  
Bailey nodded. "Yeah, I'm sure of it. Question is, can we hold out long enough to stop 'em? These things have heavier weapons than we do."  
  
"We hold out as long as we can," Zack insisted. "We buy Shepard and her team time to stop Saren."  
  
"Yeah, somehow I thought you'd say that," Bailey muttered before resuming fire.  
  
  
  
  
Another burst of fire from Saren's weapon forced Liara back into cover. Her attempt to throw a singularity at the cyberized Turian flew wildly off-course and accomplished nothing.  
  
"Sovereign's controlling you through your implants!" Shepard shouted at him. "Can't you see that?"  
  
"I am a vision of the future, Shepard. The evolution of all organic life, flesh and steel combined, the strengths of both and the weaknesses of neither," Saren asserted calmly. "This is our destiny. Join with us, Shepard. Experience the rebirth I have. Together we will serve the Reapers and bring about a new galaxy! It is inevitable!"  
  
"No it isn't!" Shepard insisted. "I have a way to keep Sovereign from controlling the Citadel! Move out of the way and I can stop this invasion from happening!"  
  
Saren shook his head wildly at that. He fired off a burst from the Geth weapon, keeping Kaidan and Ashley from getting a shot. Another burst forced Garrus back into cover. "We can't stop it! Not forever! You saw the visions You saw what happened to the Protheans! The Reapers are too powerful! Their victory is inevitable!"  
  
Robert nearly missed the small spark of hope that filled Saren. It was buried deep in Saren's being, and his thinning connection to the Flow of Life made it unlikely most would have noticed. But Robert did. Despite everything he was saying, a piece of Saren felt hope that Shepard could stop the Reapers. He passed this realization on to Shepard.  
  
She nodded at him before continuing to speak. "There has to be a part of you that knows this is wrong! We can win this, Saren, and stop the invasion! You have to listen to me!"  
  
"No!" Saren cried. He fired the weapon at Shepard, forcing her further back into cover. "I… I cannot listen to this.. It's all lies! The Reapers will prevail, they must!"  
  
  
  
  
It was unlikely the _Aurora_ bridge had ever felt the tension it had as Barnes informed them the tractor systems were at 120% capacity and failure was imminent. Julia mentally urged the weapons fire that was even now starting to cut up Sovereign to finish.  
  
Such urging wasn't necessary for Angel. Julia knew she took pride in her handling of the ship's tactical systems in a crisis, but it was rare to see her so fixated. The intensity in her hazel eyes as she examined the data coming into her board, the sensor imaging and the analysis on Sovereign's damage and possible weak points, was intimidating and inspiring at the same time.  
  
Every ship that could manage it was now focusing fire on the Reaper. Mass effect fire was finally having an effect, without Sovereign's shields to protect it, and the torpedoes and fire from the Alliance ships were mauling the Reaper. The lightning-like energies coursing around it crackled angrily. The monster continued in its struggle to break free.  
  
"Just a little more…" Julia urged.  
  
And then one of the blue ribbons connecting the _Aurora_ to Sovereign disappeared. "Burnout in emitter!" Jarod called out. "The other emitter is…"  
  
"It's the whole system…!"  
  
As Barnes gave his warning, the other tractor beam holding the Reaper back failed. There were a few smaller ships still trying to grapple the beast, but they didn't have nearly enough energy. Sovereign was already moving forward when the beams failed, one by one, and the Reaper was free to resume its flight to the Citadel.  
  
  
  
  
Robert glanced long enough to see Saren reach a hand back to the Citadel master control. Before he could act Saren glanced his way and opened fire. Instinct caused Robert to slip away instead of attempting to defy the rapid fire weapon. "Sovereign's almost here. This is almost over. Accept it, Shepard, you've lost."  
  
Robert felt the others preparing to surge forward. Any moment and they would try, and some would clearly die from the effort. He glanced toward Shepard to see if she was going to go along with it. If he had a moment of distraction…  
  
"It will be over if you just let me do this," Shepard insisted. "Sovereign will be locked out of the Citadel. Our allied fleet will have time to kill it! And you can do what you swore to do: protect the galaxy! Dammit, Saren, you're a Spectre, one of the best! Fight Sovereign's control! A stubborn bastard like you has the ability to do it!"  
  
Hope, despair, resignation, resolution… Saren had it all roiling within him. Shepard's words were getting to him. Robert felt a sense of pride begin to build within him.  
  
But it didn't stop him from finishing his work on the console.  
  
  
  
  
With Sovereign only seconds away from the Citadel, Julia didn't things could get worse.  
  
Then they did.  
  
"Someone's activated the Citadel arms," Jarod said. "They're closing!"  
  
Julia's heart sank with the fear that it had all been for nothing. The arms would keep them from finishing off Sovereign if they finished closing. "Follow it in!" she insisted.  
  
"I don't think we'll make it through, but I'll try!" was Locarno's response.  
  
"It might not be too late," Meridina said, desperate hope in her lilting voice. "Look."  
  
The tactical display told Julia everything. The Turian flag cruiser was maneuvering between the Citadel and Sovereign. " _Fire everything we've got_ ," the Executor in command ordered over the comm line. " _We're not moving!_ "  
  
As weapons fire continued to desperately assail Sovereign, the Turian cruiser lived up to the promise of its commander. It, indeed, did not move.  
  
Sovereign did not stop either. The creature had mass and acceleration on its side. When it made impact, it smashed the Turian ship to pieces.  
  
But in doing so, by nature it lost some of its velocity, for the moment, losing crucial seconds in its final approach.  
  
"It's now or never!" Julia shouted into the fleet's tactical channel. " _Fire everything you've got!_ "  
  
  
  
  
In the Citadel Council Chamber, Shepard shook her head at the others. "Saren, you said Nihlus was your friend."  
  
"He was," Saren said. "Nihlus Kryik was my student. He was a great soldier and one of the best Spectres of this generation. He would go to great lengths to accomplish the mission."  
  
"What would he say if he were here?"  
  
"He would… he would understand…"  
  
"Would he? I met Nihlus, and yeah, he'd do what was necessary for the mission. But he'd be damned to turn himself into the slave of Sovereign!" Shepard's voice boomed through the audience chamber. "If he were here he'd be fighting at my side, and you know it!"  
  
Robert felt Saren desire to disagree, but he couldn't.  
  
No, not just that. He didn't want to. Saren didn't want to deceive himself about how his friend would be reacting to this situation.  
  
"Deep down, you know I'm right, Saren. Sovereign's driven you to this. But it's not too late! We can fight him! _You_ can fight him!"  
  
Saren gripped at his head. "Yes… yes, I… unh. Maybe we can stop… argh!" Saren's cry of pain filled the air. "I can't… Sovereign's too strong! The implants…!"  
  
Robert was preparing to jump from cover and take his chance, but Shepard acted first. She moved from cover and faced Saren directly, her weapon raised but not pointing at him. "It's not too late, Saren! You can still redeem yourself!"  
  
"I…. I can still… it's…" After another cry of pain Saren doubled over, dropping the Geth weapon as he did. Robert left cover, as did the others, in time to see Saren yank a backup weapon, a Predator-model mass effect pistol, from a back holster. "I can stop it… I…" His voice softened. "Thank you, Shepard. I…"  
  
Robert felt his intent. More than that, the immense pain, little different from that he'd felt in Fai Dan and the colonists on Feros enslaved by the Thorian. Sovereign was trying to enforce control through the implants and the mental programming and it was taking every bit of willpower Saren had to fight it off. To perform one final act in defiance of the being that had enslaved him and turned him against the galaxy he'd fought to defend.  
  
Saren lifted his firearm and pressed it to his temple. With one last surge of effort, he pulled the trigger.  
  
  
  
  
As Sovereign drew nearer to the Citadel, the barrage against it was finally showing itself on the machine. Blow after blow showed on the dull reddish exterior. A plasma beam from one of the _Aurora_ 's forward weapons sliced off one of the arms, causing it to spin away.  
  
And yet Sovereign wasn't stopping. The Citadel arms were closing and it was racing to get into them before they shut. Success would give the Reaper protection against the fleet outside, allowing it to do who knew what.  
  
The fire against Sovereign slackened slightly. The _Barroso_ fell away, a hole gouged in the ship's drive hull by a Geth mass driver weapon. A Salarian ship broke up from weapon impacts. The Geth were burning in hard, desperate to protect Sovereign.  
  
The _Aurora_ was among their targets. A round from a Geth cruiser struck the _Aurora_ 's unshielded hull. A second blew a partial hole through the lower port nacelle. "Armor self-repair systems are engaged to capacity," Barnes said.  
  
Julia heard him, but she said nothing. She was focused on the holo-viewer. Sovereign's flaming, damaged body continued its path to the closing Citadel. They had only seconds left.  
  
Blow by blow, more and more of Sovereign's body started to come off. Another arm was removed by a torpedo. Chunks of the creature's long body blew away from the _Aurora_ 's pulse plasma cannons' withering fire. Another series of sapphire bolts smashed into the creature's body; the _Excalibur_ , critically damaged as she was, was still in the fight. The _Koenig_ 's pulse phasers blazed with amber fury, gouging more wounds.  
  
And yet… Sovereign still made it into the arms.  
  
"Torpedoes!" Julia shouted. "Full spreads!"  
  
The _Aurora_ 's bow launchers erupted at once, all six of them. The _Excalibur_ and _Koenig_ also opened up with torpedoes, as did the _Tagbanua_ and several of the _Aurora_ 's remaining fighters that still had torpedoes to spare. Over two-dozen projectiles, wreathed in white-blue drive fields, flew toward Sovereign.  
  
The Citadel's arms were closing around Sovereign even now. Closer and closer they came to each other, forming a protective cone that would theoretically protect the millions of beings on the station… and now also the monster that wanted to exterminate them all. It was a race that had everyone on edge; would any of the torpedoes make it through before the arms closed?  
  
The arms locked together, the tips folded inward to close the station…  
  
...and the torpedoes slipped right through, one by one, spread by spread, until the tips closed and the last handful exploded against it.  
  
Inside of the protective cone the rest of the torpedoes continued their flight. All of them found their mark. One by one they battered their way through Sovereign's wounds, blasting chunks of the machine away from its body. The final torpedoes penetrated deep into Sovereign's body before exploding. Deep within the ancient machine their naqia-enhanced warheads initiated. The resulting energy melted and blasted delicate machinery never meant to be subjected to such force.  
  
Something within Sovereign went wrong. The energy core of the creature was wrecked. A regulating mechanism within was destroyed. Energy surged uncontrolled through the Reaper. The crackling red light around it died; bright white light suddenly showed through its many wounds and split hull.  
  
And then the light expanded violently, and in a last surge of energy and an electronic wail heard across the Citadel, Sovereign blew apart.  
  
Although the Citadel closing blocked some of this from the sensors of the ships outside, the energy release of Sovereign's destruction was detected. "I think we did it!" Cat shouted. "Sovereign's power core just failed! There's been a massive energy release!"  
  
Julia didn't stop the whooping and cheering from the others. She let it go for a couple of seconds before asking for a report.  
  
"I can confirm Sovereign's destruction," Jarod said, still grinning. "I'm trying to tap into the Citadel's internal systems to get a visual."  
  
Julia wanted to know for sure, but she also knew the fight wasn't over. Outside of the Citadel the Geth fleet was still large and might still overwhelm them, especially given how little attention it'd received from their weapons while everyone was firing on Sovereign. "Bring us back around," she ordered. "Engineering, I need shields back."  
  
"We're trying," Barnes said. "But the generators took a pounding. If we can get away from enemy fire…"  
  
"It's not going to happen any time soon," Julia pointed out. "Do what you can. Tactical, lock onto the nearest Geth ship and fire."  
  
The _Aurora_ and the other ships came about to re-engage the enemy.  
  
  
  
  
The gunshot from Saren prompted everyone to start emerging from cover. His body toppled and fell, dropping off the tactical platform and landing on the Petitioners' Stage in front of the control display for the Citadel. The body didn't so much as twist. Robert felt no semblance of life in the remains.  
  
"So that's that, huh?" asked Wrex.  
  
"Yeah."  
  
Shepard stepped ahead, heading for the controls. Liara and Robert followed closely. Liara had a deep frown on her face. Robert sensed her frustration. "Are you okay?"  
  
"I wanted justice," she said. "He led my mother astray.""  
  
"He was led astray himself," Robert said quietly. He set a hand on Liara's shoulder. "I know your pain. I understand you wanted more closure. But sometimes…"  
  
A wave of sheer, malevolent _rage_ rippled through Robert's being. He gasped in shock at it, drawing the attention of Liara and some of the the others. Shepard was busy activating the master control display.  
  
After sensing what the immediate future held, Robert jumped forward. " _Shepard!_ " he cried. A moment later he tackled her and the two fell off the platform. They landed on the glass below, cracking it.  
  
Red lightning crackled across the stage, forcing the others back. The bullet that would have hit Shepard in the back of the head hit the window behind the Council's podiums instead.  
  
"What in the name of God?!" Williams cried out, stunned by the sight of Saren's body melting away in red light. "What's happening?!"  
  
"Nothing good," Garrus called out. He lifted his rifle and fired at the body. The shots ripped flesh from Saren's body, but it was being burnt off anyway.  
  
From below Robert knew immediately what was happening. He could feel it in the very marrow of his bones and the depth of his soul.  
  
Saren's body stood. Except it wasn't anything recognizable as living. The flesh of Saren's body was gone, burnt away, leaving only cybernetic machinery and a metal skeleton. Red light crackled around the remains and the cybernetic eyes glowed the same color instead of Saren's blue.  
  
" _Keelah_ ," Tali gasped. "Is that…?"  
  
"It's Sovereign," Robert said.  
  
The remains of Saren scooped up the Geth weapon Saren dropped. Wrex charged forward and fired his shotgun. The shot met a barrier field that stopped it. Sovereign lifted the weapon. But instead of firing the creature moved too fast for Wrex to react. As Wrex passed by Sovereign tripped him and sent him falling to the ground below.  
  
This time, the glass shattered. Shepard, Robert, and Wrex plunged into the garden below.  
  
The others opened fire on Sovereign and met the same barrier field. Sovereign ignored them for the moment. It brought the remains of Saren's hand up, now nothing but another piece of metal shaped like a Turian hand, and ran it along the controls. "I am assuming direct control," Sovereign said, in the same voice the others heard him use on Virmire.  
  
Below Shepard and Robert picked themselves up. Wrex started to as well. "We've got to get back up there."  
  
"I'm not sure how," Robert replied. "But I've got another option." He reached out with his life force. His will shaped it, unseen, and he pulled with it.  
  
The violent yank of his energy pulled Sovereign off of the stage. The being fell down into the garden with them. "You are too late, Shepard," it said. "The process has begun."  
  
  
  
  
Another shudder filled the _Aurora_ bridge. "Direct hit, Deck 28 Section L," Jarod said.  
  
On the screen the offending Geth cruiser was being pounded by the _Aurora_ 's main battery in the bow. Repeated sapphire pulses tore through the wingless dragonfly hull. The Geth cruiser began breaking apart.  
  
"Another one down," Angel crowed.  
  
"Bring us in toward the _Excalibur_ ," Julia ordered. "I want to…"  
  
"I'm picking up something from the Citadel," Cat suddenly said.  
  
"What is it?" Julia asked.  
  
"It's a new energy signature. It's… it's like the Citadel has hidden power cores that are just now coming online. They're charging up something…" Cat stared at her readings. She knew what they indicated, but the idea of it… "I… I don't believe it."  
  
"What is it, Lieutenant?" Julia allowed a little impatience into her tone at repeating her inquiry.  
  
"This energy signature, the subspace ripples… it's… it's like the Citadel is turning into a _mass relay_."  
  
"Cat, are you sure?" Jarrod asked.  
  
"Positive! Here, what do you think?"  
  
With a few keystrokes Cat relayed the data to Jarod's board. Jarod examined it and felt his mouth go dry. "I'll be damned," he muttered. "It's exactly that. Something's turning the Citadel into a giant mass relay."  
  
A sinking feeling came to Julia's stomach, threatening to make her sick. "How long until it's active?"  
  
"At this rate of charge… within a few minutes,I suppose," Jarod said.  
  
"Is there any way to prevent it?" asked Meridina.  
  
"Not from here," Jarod said.  
  
The ship shook again. Another Geth ship was challenging the _Aurora_. "Then it's all up to the others," Julia said grimly. "There's nothing more we can do."  
  
  
  
  
For a terrible moment Robert thought he was going to be overwhelmed again. The Flow of Life chilled around him.  
  
"You have been the most difficult cycle to begin," conceded Sovereign. "But for all of your exertions, you gain nothing. The relay will open. The cycle will commence. Everything you know will be…"  
  
Shepard raised her shotgun and contemptuously fired. The blast drowned out Sovereign's boasting and knocked the body back. "I've heard enough from you," she said.  
  
Sovereign's arm lashed out. A bolt of dark matter shot through the air and struck Shepard's personal barrier directly, disrupting it. Shepard responded with several more shots from her gun. This time the creature went into motion, evading the incoming shots with incredible agility.  
  
Above them the others approached the console. "It's locked down!" Tali shouted. "I can't override."  
  
"None can." Sovereign's voice was chilling, the electronic tone making evident his distaste and disgust. It launched a dark matter bolt at Shepard. Robert generated force ahead of him that caught the dark matter, which snapped hungrily at them. He reached out and gripped at Sovereign. The Flow of Life resisted his command, as if it felt tainted by the contact with the creature. The time it took for him to assert his will gave Sovereign time to jump away, causing his focus to diminish.  
  
Shepard's shotgun roared again, a near-miss on the creature as it scurried across the wall. "Your resistance is hopeless," Sovereign insisted. "Nothing can stop the cycle. We will harvest everything."  
  
"You can't expect to fight the entire Multiverse," Robert insisted.  
  
"You understand so little about what we are. We will swarm the skies of your worlds, _all_ of your worlds. Your stolen technology will be removed."  
  
Sovereign followed up his speaking by leaping from the wall and slamming into Wrex. The Krogan growled and fired up, trying to hit Sovereign, but missed. Sovereign might have retaliated with its own attack, but the converging of fire from above - courtesy of Garrus and Ashley - compelled it to jump off.  
  
"That Prothean program, did you finish loading it?" asked Robert.  
  
"I was starting to when you tackled me," Shepard answered.  
  
"Then that's the key. Can you transmit it to Tali's omnitool?"  
  
Sovereign jumped from his place on the wall to another, taking him out of line of sight for those still above. Wrex tracked him and fired, just for Sovereign to jump at the last moment. It threw out a dark matter bolt at Shepard and Robert. Robert stopped the bolt at the last moment. "Give me cover," Shepard instructed.  
  
"Can do, Shepard." Robert nodded and turned his attention to Sovereign.  
  
"You." The creature jumped to another wall, throwing a dark matter bolt in the process. It struck Wrex and sent the Krogan flying. Sovereign landed on the ground and generated more dark matter, which Robert stopped. "So you are the inheritor of the Darglan."  
  
"One of many," Robert replied. "What do you know about them?"  
  
"They came to this galaxy, long ago. They examined the mass relays and utilized them for a time. Until the war."  
  
"The war?" Robert frowned.  
  
"The war of their folly. The war of the dark things from beyond, the Starbreakers."  
  
"The Darkness." Another dark matter bolt, and Robert stopped it. Sovereign quickly leapt to another side of the room, trying to get behind him, to hit Shepard as she concentrated on relaying the program Vigil gave her to Tali. Robert spun around and caught the bolt with his power. Sweat gathered in his eyes and he struggled, not so much with Sovereign's attacks but with his own power threatening to overwhelm him. "You know of them."  
  
"They are as ancient as our kind." Sovereign jumped again and Robert caught it. "You should welcome the cycle. We will leave the stars intact. Life will flourish again for a time, and another civilization will come. The Starbreakers will destroy everything. There will be no new life, no new civilizations. There will be only darkness."  
  
"We'll stop them just as we're going to stop you." Robert spun around again, catching Sovereign's next attack. He fought down the dizziness the Reaper was causing with its maneuvers around him.  
  
"Your boast is an empty one. You understand nothing." Sovereign leapt again, jumping above Robert. He threw a bolt that Robert caught.  
  
Even as Wrex tracked his weapon to fire, Sovereign suddenly dropped. The drop became a dive, straight for Robert and Shepard. In the second he had to react Robert concentrated force to catch his foe. But Sovereign was ready for that, generating a powerful dark matter field as it descended. Robert couldn't quite grip it in time.  
  
The resulting impact of Sovereign to the ground threw both Robert and Shepard away from the impact point with force more like that of a bomb than a landing shockwave. Shepard grunted as she slammed against the base of the Petitioner's Stage above. Robert made a similar noise when he hit the further wall. For a key moment, he was distracted, and could do nothing as Sovereign turned its attention on Shepard. She was still recovering when a second bolt hit her, this one a warp bolt that generated a field of the same name, as biotics knew it. The dark matter of the field started tearing at Shepard at a molecular level. Sovereign moved in for the kill…  
  
A biotic bolt slammed into Sovereign's side, throwing it away and threatening to grapple and hold the thing.  
  
Having taken the pathway down to the garden, Liara rushed in with her pistol raised. She fired at Sovereign, managing a hit as it recovered from her attack. Sparks flared from damaged cybernetics.  
  
Then Sovereign's counter-attack came, not with a dark matter strike, but by jumping right at Liara. It moved too fast and too unexpectedly for Liara to catch Sovereign with her biotics. Sovereign slammed into her and grabbed Liara. She screamed in pain as its iron grip broke her wrist.  
  
A moment later, she was freed, as Wrex slammed into the cybernetic corpse at full speed. He grabbed the machine and forced it into the wall. "Shepard!" he yelled, ignoring Sovereign's bow to his back.  
  
"Shepard, the program is incomplete!" Tali cried from above. "We don't have much time!"  
  
In clear pain, Shepard got up on hands and knees. Without fully standing up she brought her omnitool display back up and resumed her work.  
  
Sovereign noticed. Channeling every bit of dark matter it could through Saren's remains, Sovereign fired a pulse of the material that freed it from Wrex's grasp. The red energy crackling around it intensified. A single blow was used to knock Wrex over, at which point Sovereign turned its attention back to Shepard.  
  
And then a sizable portion of its head disintegrated. Sovereign let out an electronic roar and turned to trace the source: Garrus, with his sniper rifle up. Garrus fired again, overheating his weapon. Although he didn't get another headshot, he pulverized part of the monster's right shoulder with the shot, despite Sovereign's evasive motion.  
  
That same evasive motion carried Sovereign toward Garrus. Garrus was forced to lower his rifle and roll away to avoid being grabbed by Sovereign.  
  
The same motion also cleared him from Ashley's line of fire.  
  
Ashley's M7 Lancer opened up. Sparks flew as the rounds from the weapon starting chewing chunks from Sovereign's body. Sovereign fell back for a moment from Ashley's accurate rifle fire. Dark matter coalesced into a protective field to absorb the fire. This bought Sovereign a chance to escape, evading fire from Wrex as well.  
  
"Shepard, we're almost out of time! The relay is about to open!"  
  
"There!" Shepard hit a final key on her omnitool. "You've got the program!"  
  
"Uploading it now," Tali called out from above.  
  
Shepard got back to her feet and found her shotgun. She raised it toward Sovereign as it jumped at Garrus, avoiding fire from Wrex and Ashley as it did so. Garrus rolled away and brought up his sidearm in the same motion, firing rounds that hit Sovereign in the leg. Sovereign evaded the next shot from Garrus, leaping to do so.  
  
Leaping right into Shepard's crosshairs.  
  
Her solid slug round blasted through Sovereign's weakened barrier and through its torso, forcing it to abandon its attack. It turned its attention to Shepard with a bolt of dark matter that Robert dashed in and absorbed. Ashley shot it a second later, and then Liara.  
  
Sovereign took the damage without flinching, if it was even capable of such. It also clearly changed its plans. With one great leap it went to the wall, and then another leap to another section of the wall. Robert immediately sensed its intent. "It's after Tali!"  
  
Even without his cry, the others were already shooting at Sovereign. Sovereign ignored them, though not Robert. It stopped just long enough to fire a dark matter bolt at Robert, who had to adjust to deflect the attack, giving Sovereign time to make the final jump up to the Council's platform. It directed its attention to Tali and tossed another dark matter bolt toward her.  
  
Sovereign hadn't accounted for Kaidan. Kaidan generated his own dark matter field, absorbing the attack, and giving time for Tali to finish working. He lifted his pistol and started firing, his shots degrading the barrier Sovereign threw up to stop his attacks. Sovereign made another leap, this one over their heads. It landed on the Petitioner's Stage behind them. Kaidan continued firing at it, managing some hits that further damaged the creature.  
  
In a flash Sovereign shot forward. It forced its way through Kaidan's protective field using its own and grabbed Kaidan by the collar. Had it time, it might have simply snapped his neck, but instead Sovereign simply tossed Kaidan to the side. It turned its attention to Tali.  
  
Tali's shotgun barked, spraying Sovereign with a close-range shot. She fired again, this shot breaking Sovereign's protective field and wrecking its left shoulder. A third shot was slightly off as Sovereign adjusted, evading it as much as it could. It bore down on her, a moment away from securing its success.  
  
That was the moment Shepard shot up from the garden below, wreathed in biotic power. With the impact she knocked Sovereign off the Stage, bringing him along into the air above the garden. She grabbed Sovereign and forced the Reaper to fall with her back into the garden.  
  
As they made impact, Tali called out from above. "Program loaded! I am taking control of the Citadel! Shutting down the mass relay activation!"  
  
"No!" There was something… almost human in the rage and frustration Robert felt ripple from Sovereign. But even that was insufficient warning for what came next. Sovereign threw out a biotic shockwave in all directions, throwing everyone to the ground before they could fire on it. The impact was accompanied with a warp effect, creating a field that brought pain to everyone as the dark matter began to pull them apart at a molecular level.  
  
WIth one arm mostly useless, Sovereign grabbed Shepard with the other. As Saren had on Virmire, Sovereign took her by the throat and lifted her, keeping Shepard from going for the shotgun. "You are mistaken if you believe this is a victory for your kind," Sovereign said. "This cycle will be processed regardless. My kind will return from dark space in one way or another, and you will not be…"  
  
"Shepard!" Robert called out. He was in motion as the sound of his cry reached her. His hand shot forward toward her and Sovereign.  
  
Shepard heard him. She knew what he was doing, and she brought her right arm up and had her hand ready to receive the object that had just flown from his hand. The moment she caught it, her thumb stroked the button on the weapon. Robert's lightsaber ignited in Shepard's hand. With a defiant cry she swung the blade at Sovereign's stolen body.  
  
The emerald light met the dark matter gathered around Sovereign… and kept going, the field too weak to stop the strike. The blade cut the body from side to side. An instinctive upward cut to follow sliced through Sovereign's functioning arm, severing it along the bicep and freeing Shepard. She hit the ground in front of Sovereign as it flailed from the damage she'd inflicted, its damage mortal.  
  
"So much for the vanguard of our destruction," Shepard said to the dying machine. In a pair of motions she plunged Robert's lightsaber into the chest of Sovereign's body and cut upward, slicing in half everything from the torso to the tip of the head.  
  
Red light crackled violently around the partially-bisected construct. Shepard stepped back, but the violence of the energy was too great for her to avoid it.  
  
Robert ran up and projected energy between them and Sovereign's dying form. To augment his power, Liara projected a biotic field from her hand - ignoring her shattered wrist - and prompted Wrex and Kaidan to do likewise.  
  
There was a final wail… and then Sovereign, or rather Saren's remains, let out a storm of crackling red light that played over this defense while the cybernetic remains crumbled into dust.  
  
Above them, Tali called out, "Its done! The Citadel relay is shut down again! I'm opening the mass relay network!"  
  
At those words everyone in the garden breathed a sigh of relief. "So we did it," Ashley said. "We stopped them."  
  
"For now, Sergeant." Shepard looked over what was left. Robert could feel her certainty that it wasn't over. "For now."  
  
  
  
  
The Citadel's defense fleet was hard-pressed by the Geth. Holding Sovereign back had cost time and firepower that might have further attrited the Geth to something manageable. Now the _Aurora_ was struggling to protect both the _Destiny Ascension_ and the _Excalibur_ from the wounds inflicted on them, taking further damage to her systems in the process.  
  
On the _Aurora_ bridge Julia watched the ferocity of the Geth and couldn't help but see them as an enraged hive. Their attacks were becoming more vicious and they seemed to lose all concern for their own situation. One of the damaged Geth ships put itself into Angel's bow arc just for a chance to slam the _Destiny Ascension_ with its powerful railgun armaments. It managed just one shot on the wounded Asari dreadnought before Angel blew the vessel away with the bow cannons.  
  
Despite it all, Julia sighed with relief when Cat gave an urgent report. "The power buildup in the Citadel is dissipating. The mass relay element is shutting down!"  
  
"They did it," Julia breathed. She glanced toward Meridina. Despite their situation, she could see color returning to the Gersallian woman's face.  
  
Another hit sent a tremor through the deck. "Hull breach, Deck 15, Sections D and E," Jarod said.  
  
"Mister Barnes, where are our shields?"  
  
"We're not getting them back soon," Barnes protested. "Every time the generators start to reform a cohesive field the Geth blow right through it. We need to stop taking fire for a minute or so."  
  
"We cannot," Meridina said. "If we abandon this position, the Geth will overwhelm the _Excalibur_ and _Destiny Ascension_."  
  
"This way they have to overwhelm us first…" The ship shook again.  
  
"I just lost two starboard plasma cannons," Angel said. "My tactical systems are taking a pounding. If we don't get out of this soon…"  
  
"I'm getting a power spike from the mass relay!" cried Cat. "Something's coming through!"  
  
Julia checked the tactical display. Multiple contacts began started popping up at the relay. The _Aurora_ 's computers identified them immediately: Systems Alliance ships.  
  
With the _Normandy_ in the lead.  
  
" _Hackett to Fleet. Assume combat formation and engage._ "  
  
At the command of the Systems Alliance's Admiral Hackett, the fleet of human warships accelerated into the fight. Mass effect weapons, missiles, and some refitted energy weapons from the technological exchange started striking the Geth ships. The Geth turned to face their new, fresh adversaries, giving the battered defense fleet a moment's rest.  
  
"Looks like the cavalry's arrived," Locarno noted.  
  
"Maintain fire," Julia said. "It's not over yet."  
  
The _Aurora_ targeted another Geth ship. When it was down she targeted another, and another, while Hackett's fleet did the work of finishing the Geth off. Only after the last Geth warship died did Julia breathe a much-needed sigh of relief.  
  
  
  
  
The Geth push through the airlock wasn't letting up. Zack and Bailey put more fire into one of the big platforms as it swept its weapon over the counter where another group of Bailey's officers were in cover. Nearby an Asari C-Sec officer was clutching a wound on her belly, her lavender-complexioned face wrenched into an expression of pain. Talara was trying to treat her.  
  
"My ammo block's running low," Bailey said.  
  
Zack checked his weapon. "Two percent charge," he said. "Just a few shots left."  
  
"How many of these things are there?!"  
  
"A lot." That reply came from Lucy nearby. She wasn't in cover but rather busy drawing fire, deflecting it with her lightsaber. Zack didn't need powers to how determined she was. "If we can hold out a little longer…" She stopped and smiled. "They did it."  
  
"Huh?"  
  
"I can feel it," Lucy said. "They won. Sovereign's dead." She deflected a shot into one of the big Geth's flashlight heads, shattering the light. "Sovereign's dead, Geth! You might as well stop and leave!"  
  
Indeed, the Geth did seem to suddenly lose momentum. As if they weren't sure what they were doing. With the fire slackening Lucy dashed forward, her lightsaber flashing through the air as she drove it through the leg of one of the Geth Prime models. Zack and Bailey fired at another until Zack's weapon ceased to work. He almost asked for another just to realize there was no point in it. With the Geth in such confusion, Bailey and his people were quickly gaining the upper hand.  
  
" _Anders to Carrey_."  
  
Zack tapped the glowing blue light over the back of his left hand. "Carrey here."  
  
" _The Geth are falling apart. This is going into cleanup mode. Want me to send you some help?_ "  
  
As another Geth died to Lucy's attacks, Zack gave his answer. "We've got the same thing here,, Major. Everything's handed for the moment, we'll keep in touch."  
  
" _Alright. Anders out._ "  
  
Another Geth platform, the last, fell over, multiple weapon impacts and a severed leg from Lucy's attack. Seconds passed and no more Geth arrived. Zack managed a scan for the Geth dropship that had been the source of their woes, but it was gone. "We did it," he breathed. "We stopped them."  
  
"Damn right we did," said Bailey. He grinned at Zack. "You're not half-bad for a navy puke."  
  
Zack returned the grin, happy he was, to put it bluntly, still alive. "Thanks for the compliment, I think."  
  
The reaction to that was a roar of laughter.  
  
  
  
**Tag**  
  
  
  
_Ship's Log: ASV Aurora; 12 July 2643 AST. Captain Julia Andreys commanding. We've received the final all-clear from the Citadel. The last of the Geth forces that attacked the station have been eliminated. With the damage to the systems from Saren's electronic attack on them it will be some time before an accurate count of casualties can be determined, but estimates are already going over ten thousand dead, not counting the thousands of dead from the Citadel fleet, including our own losses.  
  
Still, it could have been worse. The _ Excalibur _is intact but severely damaged and in need of weeks of repair time. The_ Destiny Ascension _made it through, so the Council survived as well and have already returned to the Citadel.  
  
Commander Scott estimates the _ Aurora _could use a week of repair time in the yard. I'm thankful we came through that fight as well as we did.  
  
Cleanup on the Citadel is already commencing. The crew is pitching in as best as they can._  
  
  
With control restored over the Citadel systems, one of the first things ordered was a temporary end to the day/night cycle of the Presidium. The work crews clearing battle debris would do so under full light conditions.  
  
Liara watched repair crews from one of the upper levels of the Presidium at an open-air bar in the Commons. Her mind felt like it was going to revolt at the sight of the damage the Geth had inflicted.  
  
She noticed someone standing beside her and turned her head to see that it was Lucy, still in her Gersallian-made purple combat armor and blue robes. "It's wrong," Lucy said.  
  
Even if she lacked Lucy's metaphysical talents, and her own telepathic ones required touch, Liara knew right away what she meant. "I know," she said. "Seeing the Presidium, the Citadel itself, turned into a war zone, I never imagined something like this could ever happen. The Citadel, the Council, they are part of my people's vision for the galaxy. A galaxy of mutual respect, of negotiation and compromise instead of armed force…"  
  
Lucy nodded. "It must seem blasphemous, almost, to see it reduced to this."  
  
"Yes."  
  
"But that's not all that's bothering you, is it?"  
  
Liara couldn't hide her thoughts from Lucy. "Saren's dead," she said. "Shepard convinced him to resist Sovereign. The only way he could was to kill himself."  
  
"So I heard." Lucy chuckled lightly and shook her head. "Shepard's a unique woman. Brave, smart, and makes you want to follow her into Hell itself." Lucy looked at Liara's eyes, no longer looking at anything in particular, just the thoughts in her head. "You got justice for your mother."  
  
"I suppose." Liara shook her head. 'But it doesn't feel like I've accomplished anything. I mean, we stopped Sovereign, but my mother's still gone. She can't come back and restore her good name. She's going to be remembered as a traitor to our people, a madwoman who worked with a monster…"  
  
"Possibly," Lucy conceded. "But the important part is that she loved you and she was proud of you."  
  
"I know. But it still hurts."  
  
"Yeah, it will. I know the feeling. I've dealt with the same. A lot of us on the _Aurora_ have." Lucy sighed at that. "Most of us, I mean the original Facility crew… we're all orphans. Sickness, accidents, we all lost parents we loved and cared for." An old hurt came to Lucy. "Sometimes I wonder how my mother would react to what I've become."  
  
"You helped save the galaxy, you've saved entire worlds," Liara remarked gently. "What do you wonder?"  
  
"I wonder if my mother would be afraid for me," Lucy admitted. "If she would have trouble understanding what I go through. That I have to fight, even kill sometimes. I know she'd be proud of the people I've helped…" Lucy stopped at that point and shook her head. "Either way, you're not alone, Doctor. And you've made friends on the _Aurora_. Given more time I could see everyone considering you a member of the crew."  
  
Liara laughed softly at that. "It would be interesting, I suppose. Thank you, Lieutenant…"  
  
"Lucy. I prefer Lucy," was the reply.  
  
"Then I prefer Liara."  
  
"Any time. It's sort of my job description now, when I'm not waving a lightsaber around." Lucy smiled and turned to step away.  
  
"Lucy?"  
  
She turned to face Liara. "Yes?"  
  
The Asari's blue eyes met hers. "Just to ask… do you think the _Aurora_ could use a xenoarchaeologist?"  
  
  
  
  
Zack found the bar he often saw from his office in C-Sec. It was now a mess. Geth had waged a battle throughout this section of the Presidium with the Systems Alliance Marines sent by Hackett to clear them out. Most of the furniture was wrecked by weapons fire, as was the bar itself. Much to his surprise, a Turian bartender was still on duty. He looked to Zack hopefully. With a small, exhausted smile, Zack answered, "Club soda."  
  
The Turian gave him a curious look. "I've never heard of that. Some human mixed drink?"  
  
"It could be. But in my case, I don't want alcohol." That got him a look and a long sigh. Strapped for customers and with most of his inventory wrecked anyway, the Turian pulled out a container of what looked like orange juice. "Is that…?"  
  
"Orange juice, straight from Earth. I use it for… what do you Humans call it? A boltdriver?"  
  
"Screwdriver." With only three seats intact at the bar, Zack took one. He triggered his omnitool to pay for the drink and watched the Turian open the gray cylinder and let the orange fluid within pour into a tall glass.  
  
"I'm surprised to find you here." Zack turned at the voice. Robert approached. Like Zack he hadn't changed after the battle. He was holding something in his hand. "OJ?"  
  
"Good old OJ," Zack confirmed. "Want one?"  
  
"What the hell, sure." Robert took the seat nearest Zack. The Turian got him a glass as well and sighed with irritation as Robert set something on the bar. "I could use a drink of any kind."  
  
Zack looked at what Robert had set down. "Isn't that one of those…?"  
  
"Lightsabers," Robert finished for him. "It's what's left of the one Lucy made for me." He held up the charred, broken weapon. "Shepard killed Sovereign with it. The feedback from the cybernetics Sovereign implanted in Saren's body wrecked the body and some of the mechanisms, though. I'll need to repair it." He let out a sigh.  
  
"How close are you to making one of those things yourself?"  
  
"Getting there." Robert tapped the hilt with his left hand while his right gripped the glass and brought it to his mouth. He took a gulp and gave a more contented sigh. "Tastes good. I bet it costs quite a bit to get real oranges out this far."  
  
"It could be replicated," Zack pointed out.  
  
"If so, it's a damn good replicator." Robert took another drink. Zack could tell he was exhausted. "So, welcome back to the fun, Zack."  
  
"Heh. I'm going to regret it later," he sighed. "I hurt all over and I'm sure I'll be doing a lot more paperwork while working with C-Sec to investigate everything."  
  
"I know the feeling. I still owe Maran and Morgan a report." Robert considered the remaining juice in his glass. Zack downed most of his. He held the glass up afterward. "But better to be exhausted than dead, right?"  
  
"I'll drink to that," Zack chuckled. After they both took drinks and finished their glasses, Zack added, "And now I'm ready to drink to not getting shot at for a while." He held the glass to the Turian bartender.  
  
"Here's hoping," Robert sighed, already certain it wouldn't quite turn out that way.  
  
  
  
  
Julia looked out the window of her ready office at the sad sight. The _Excalibur_ was beside the _Aurora_ and looked pretty battered. The missing nacelle gave the ship an uneven look. The self-repair systems left entire sections of the hull looking as patched over as she knew them to be. It broke up some of the _Excalibur_ 's lethal grace.  
  
When her door chime went off, Julia turned and said, "Come in." Meridina entered with a digital pad. "Another report?"  
  
"The total casualty report as of this hour," Meridina said. "We suffered sixteen dead and eighty-seven wounded."  
  
"I suppose it could have been much higher." Julia's comment didn't detract from her feeling: that was sixteen and eighty-seven too damn many. "The damage estimates?"  
  
"Commander Scott gave preliminary estimates. Going by experience, I expect the actual time for repair to be about half the stated requirement."  
  
Julia smiled softly at that. "That's why he's the miracle worker." She looked over the offered report and signed off on it. "Do you think we might have prevented this?" she asked.  
  
Meridina gave her a curious look. "How?"  
  
"By defying Atama and Udina. If we'd brought the _Aurora_ to Ilos, and kept Saren from using the Conduit…"  
  
"Perhaps. But I am content that we were where we needed to be when the moment of decision came."  
  
Julia nodded once in acceptance of Meridina's point. "You look… better."  
  
"I feel better," Meridina said. A tired look came across the Gersallian woman's face, weakness she normally didn't show. "The Flow of Life no longer quails. Not as it did. Whatever errors we made along the way, we won a great victory for Light today, Julia. That is what matters."  
  
"I can't argue with that." Julia failed to keep the pensive look off her face, matching the thought that came to her. "But I don't know if we won for good. Whatever Sovereign was… there are supposed to be more Reapers out there. Maybe a lot more."  
  
"So it claimed to Shepard and Robert. But for now, they are not here, and given time we can be ready for them," Meridina said. "I would not worry about…"  
  
A chime filled the room. Julia went over and tapped a key on her desk. "Andreys here."  
  
The voice on the other end was that of Lieutenant Tra'dur, working an ops watch. " _Captain, we're receiving a hail from Admiral Maran. It's coded as urgent._ "  
  
Julia wondered what could be this urgent. Undoubtedly he already had her initial report, but any information he needed was already there. To answer this curiosity she swiftly hit the key on her board to accept the communication. As she sat in her chair, Maran appeared on the screen, sitting in one Julia recognized to be his flag office on the _Kentan_. While always stoic, Julia thought there was a bit of impatience in him. Impatience… and worry? "Admiral," Julia said. "What can I do for you?"  
  
" _I'm aware you've suffered some damage, Captain_ ," he said. " _Do you have warp capability yet?_ "  
  
"Not at the moment, but we should soon," Julia answered.  
  
"Commander Scott has affirmed warp capability will be regained within the next several hours," Meridina confirmed for her.  
  
" _Good. Prepare for immediate departure and full combat deployment._ "  
  
Julia exchanged a puzzled look with Meridina before looking at Maran again. "Sir? The crew was on alert for an extended period and many of them have been helping with the clean-up effort. And Commander Scott estimates up to a week in drydock to repair all of our systems…"  
  
Maran nodded and sighed. " _I'm aware you have been through a difficult fight, Captain. If I had a choice, if the timing wasn't what it is, I would give you that repair time. But I'm afraid you're needed elsewhere._ "  
  
"Where?" Julia asked.  
  
" _I need the_ Aurora _to join the invasion fleet_ ," Maran said. " _We've already commenced the invasion of Earth in S4W8. This is our last chance to end the war with the Reich. If we don't win now, we might never beat them._ "


End file.
